Check & Mate
In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.
Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist....
As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)
Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist....
As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)
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Readers say *Check & Mate* by Ali Hazelwood is a smart, charming enemies-to-lovers romance set in the competitive chess world, praised for its witty b...
I know nothing about chess, but I was still all in with Mallory and Nolan’s story. The enemy to lovers romance was cute, and seeing Mallory’s journey to accept herself for who she is, was amazing.
Mallory Greenleaf is a former child chess star who gave it all up years ago when her world was turned upside down. Mallory has a lot on her shoulders. Between being the main caregiver to her sisters and caring for her sick mom, she's also managing to make ends meet working at the mechanic shop that her uncle use to own.
Mallory lost her father a while ago and life has been tough for the Greenleaf family. They don't talk about their dad or the complicated relationship that Mallory had with chess. When Mallory's best friend tells her to sign up for a chess match and Mallory beats Nolan Sawyer. Nolan is the current world champion of chess and known as the "King killer." Mallory doesn't know what to think about it.
Soon Mallory finds herself forced back in the chess world to make ends meet for her family. Can she manage to keep her chess playing a secret from her family while keeping a safe distance from the game she used to love and the #1 ranked chess player she might be falling for?
I have read many Ali Hazelwood books, and I think that this one ranks up there near the top. I completely enjoyed this book. The coming of age, the building of each character and how Mallory comes to love herself for who she truly is. Looking for a Meet-Cute book? Here it is!
Mallory Greenleaf is a former child chess star who gave it all up years ago when her world was turned upside down. Mallory has a lot on her shoulders. Between being the main caregiver to her sisters and caring for her sick mom, she's also managing to make ends meet working at the mechanic shop that her uncle use to own.
Mallory lost her father a while ago and life has been tough for the Greenleaf family. They don't talk about their dad or the complicated relationship that Mallory had with chess. When Mallory's best friend tells her to sign up for a chess match and Mallory beats Nolan Sawyer. Nolan is the current world champion of chess and known as the "King killer." Mallory doesn't know what to think about it.
Soon Mallory finds herself forced back in the chess world to make ends meet for her family. Can she manage to keep her chess playing a secret from her family while keeping a safe distance from the game she used to love and the #1 ranked chess player she might be falling for?
I have read many Ali Hazelwood books, and I think that this one ranks up there near the top. I completely enjoyed this book. The coming of age, the building of each character and how Mallory comes to love herself for who she truly is. Looking for a Meet-Cute book? Here it is!
Halfway through, I was really liking it. I loved the chess tension between both characters, and the build up to their next match was exciting and kept me hyped up.
That being said... I was kind of disappointed that it wasn't shown how those 12 matches were between them, or at least the one where Mal won.
Maybe it was me that I liked how the chess game was portrayed, with its tension, how you're feeling when your opponent does certain stuff, etc. I think it would've been very exciting and heart fluttering to see their matches now that they were consented, and they both accepted each other.
The looks, giggles, damn even the tie handshake, I would've love to see that between them.
Nice book, I liked it, the ending just felt a little anticlimactic.
That being said... I was kind of disappointed that it wasn't shown how those 12 matches were between them, or at least the one where Mal won.
Maybe it was me that I liked how the chess game was portrayed, with its tension, how you're feeling when your opponent does certain stuff, etc. I think it would've been very exciting and heart fluttering to see their matches now that they were consented, and they both accepted each other.
The looks, giggles, damn even the tie handshake, I would've love to see that between them.
Nice book, I liked it, the ending just felt a little anticlimactic.
I was never a huge chess player but now I really want to play more! This is a true enemies to lovers book with excellent banter, phenomenal character development, and a plot that keeps your attention for sure.
Short summary: Mallory used to be a chess player, even chess prodigy some might say. But after something happened with her father, she swore she would never play again. She truly believes that chess was what destroyed her family and now it is her job to take care of her mom, her sisters, and all the bills. When her friend asks her to just play one tournament for charity, she begrudingly says yes. And the rest is history, some would say. She somehow beats the current world champion, Nolan. Everyone quickly becomes so intrigued with this rookie who beat the champ. She is even offered a fellowship, which she swears to herself she will only do for the money and leave the chess at the office. But that is hard to do for someone who is prone to getting sucked back in. Soon, as much as she tries to resist it, her love for the game rekindles and another relationship begins to bloom as well. Nolan seems to be everywhere and really wants to play against her again. Does he want to prove his superiority or does he have some other motive?
I absolutely loved this book. I feel like it had a different edge than most romance books. Obviously there is tension between Mallory and Nolan but the whole book doesn't revolve around that. We get to see what it is like for a chess champion to train to be such. We get to see the family dynamics and just how much Mallory has put on her shoulders. There was much more to the story than just the romance. Even when the two are together and trying to set the other right, they realize just how much they need that same advice themselves.
I read this along with the audiobook and I really felt like the narrator did a fabulous job portraying all of the emotions throughout the dialogue. This is definitely a book I would recommend reading in an immersive experience. I know that some readers really liked this book while others really didn't. I think it is important to go into this book remembering that it is geared towards YA audiences. There are definitely parts that are kind of corny but in the grand scheme of things, this book is adorable and brings forward issues along with the romance. If you like enemies to lovers trope, read this book. If you are interested in a romance that is also wicked smart, has beautiful banter between characters, and features chess, read this book. If you like books that also continue to push the stereotype, this time with women in chess, read this book. I definitely would have liked a longer, more drawn out ending but overall, I loved this book!
Quotes:
“Funny, that Easton never cared for chess like I did but stuck with it much longer. What an odd love triangle the three of us make” pg. 9
“Dude stop. You won against the best player in the world. You completely blindsided him in a damn good game - the way you feinted a feint? How you got yourself out of that pin? You’re queen? Stop putting yourself down and take credit for it - you think Nolan would be half as reticent? You think any guy would be?” pg. 40
“Truth is, it seems safer not to. In my experience, commitment leads to expectations, and expectations lead to lies and hurt, and disappointment - stuff I’d rather not experience, or force others to experience.” pg. 66
“I was playing safe. Cautious. Even when I was in the position to push for an advantage, I didn’t. I was defensive. Which confused you, then frustrated you, then had you making basic mistakes because you were bored. This is easy for me, because I grew up with a formal chess education. Now, you’re a much better player than I am. Let me rephrase, then: you have more talent. I’ve seen videos of your plays - your instinct when it comes to attack is fantastic. But there are some basics that all top players know. And if you don’t know them, any opponent with a solid technical foundation will easily exploit them against you. And you won’t even get to use your talent” pg. 72
“I remember reading about a quality of chess players called nettlesomeness: the ability to not just play well but also trick others into playing poorly.” pg. 154
“It is a stupid board game, but it’s yours. I see the way you look at the pieces. It’s your world isn’t it? The one you choose for yourself, well within your boundaries. You can be the queen in it. The king. The knight. Whatever you want. There are rules and if you learn them well enough, then you’ll be able to control it. You’ll be able to rescue the pieces you care about. So unlike real like huh?” pg. 172
“If you’re a woman, this system tears you down. Makes you doubt yourself and drop out of the chess club to leave room for the ones who are actually talented. They don’t know how it feels. They don’t know what it’s like, being told that you’re inherently destined to be second best” pg. 200
“Little things. Your reaction at the Olympics. You obviously love chess but talk yourself into thinking that it’s a loathsome thing. You feel responsible for your family, not just your sisters, but your mother too. You constantly act like you’re guilty of something awful. Like you deserve nothing but scraps for yourself””Because I am guilty. If I hadn’t told Mom about Heather Turcotte, if Dad hadn’t left home, if he hadn’t had a reason to be driving drunk at 3:00 am…” pg. 236
“I think it’s easier for you to be with people when you feel needed than when you need them. Less risky. Less messy, right?” pg. 263
“I did not cheat. The images were doctored, and my lawyers have already gotten in touch with FIDE. I’ll be going to Venice to hand Sawyer his ass. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sawyer’s team was behind this He’s very scared of facing me, because he knows he’ll likely lose. He has got his girlfriend a spot on the Challengers but also paid for Greenleaf’s fellowship at Zugzwang. This is a clear attempt to manipulate who would be his opponent and to avoid me, the strongest player, in order to keep his World Championship title.” pg. 271
“Listen, I try hard not to learn things about the people around me, but…I’ve heard about your father. I know you take care of your family. I know you’re dealing with stuff like that rusty trampoline. But if you unzip your asshole and pry your head out of it, you might realize that there’s more to life than feeling sorry for yourself” pg. 281
“Mal, our histories are not made of ifs and buts. Although, if this is the game you want to play: if you hadn’t told me about what you’d seen at that tournament, I would have found out anyway. Because it wasn’t the first time he’d done that. And your father had a long history of dealing with his problems with alcohol, and he’d had two DUIs before his accident, so even if he had still been living at home, there’s a good chance that what happened would have happened anyway.” pg. 288
“Let me tell you something: when I think about chess, I don’t think about Archie or about the other women. When I think about chess, I think about my brilliant oldest daughter, doing what she loves, and kicking ass while she’s at it. I washed you at the Challengers, Mal. Hours and hours of you being so beautiful. And even though I couldn’t understand one single thing you were doing, I was so proud of you” pg. 289
“I appreciate what you’ve done for us, but now it’s time to focus on what you want. Guilt and responsibility are heavy burdens, Mallory. But they’re also something we can hide behind, and now you can’t do that anymore. You are free to do what you love” pg. 291
“Because when I’m with you Mallory, everything is different. When I’m with you, I want to play more than I want to win” pg. 339
Short summary: Mallory used to be a chess player, even chess prodigy some might say. But after something happened with her father, she swore she would never play again. She truly believes that chess was what destroyed her family and now it is her job to take care of her mom, her sisters, and all the bills. When her friend asks her to just play one tournament for charity, she begrudingly says yes. And the rest is history, some would say. She somehow beats the current world champion, Nolan. Everyone quickly becomes so intrigued with this rookie who beat the champ. She is even offered a fellowship, which she swears to herself she will only do for the money and leave the chess at the office. But that is hard to do for someone who is prone to getting sucked back in. Soon, as much as she tries to resist it, her love for the game rekindles and another relationship begins to bloom as well. Nolan seems to be everywhere and really wants to play against her again. Does he want to prove his superiority or does he have some other motive?
I absolutely loved this book. I feel like it had a different edge than most romance books. Obviously there is tension between Mallory and Nolan but the whole book doesn't revolve around that. We get to see what it is like for a chess champion to train to be such. We get to see the family dynamics and just how much Mallory has put on her shoulders. There was much more to the story than just the romance. Even when the two are together and trying to set the other right, they realize just how much they need that same advice themselves.
I read this along with the audiobook and I really felt like the narrator did a fabulous job portraying all of the emotions throughout the dialogue. This is definitely a book I would recommend reading in an immersive experience. I know that some readers really liked this book while others really didn't. I think it is important to go into this book remembering that it is geared towards YA audiences. There are definitely parts that are kind of corny but in the grand scheme of things, this book is adorable and brings forward issues along with the romance. If you like enemies to lovers trope, read this book. If you are interested in a romance that is also wicked smart, has beautiful banter between characters, and features chess, read this book. If you like books that also continue to push the stereotype, this time with women in chess, read this book. I definitely would have liked a longer, more drawn out ending but overall, I loved this book!
Quotes:
“Funny, that Easton never cared for chess like I did but stuck with it much longer. What an odd love triangle the three of us make” pg. 9
“Dude stop. You won against the best player in the world. You completely blindsided him in a damn good game - the way you feinted a feint? How you got yourself out of that pin? You’re queen? Stop putting yourself down and take credit for it - you think Nolan would be half as reticent? You think any guy would be?” pg. 40
“Truth is, it seems safer not to. In my experience, commitment leads to expectations, and expectations lead to lies and hurt, and disappointment - stuff I’d rather not experience, or force others to experience.” pg. 66
“I was playing safe. Cautious. Even when I was in the position to push for an advantage, I didn’t. I was defensive. Which confused you, then frustrated you, then had you making basic mistakes because you were bored. This is easy for me, because I grew up with a formal chess education. Now, you’re a much better player than I am. Let me rephrase, then: you have more talent. I’ve seen videos of your plays - your instinct when it comes to attack is fantastic. But there are some basics that all top players know. And if you don’t know them, any opponent with a solid technical foundation will easily exploit them against you. And you won’t even get to use your talent” pg. 72
“I remember reading about a quality of chess players called nettlesomeness: the ability to not just play well but also trick others into playing poorly.” pg. 154
“It is a stupid board game, but it’s yours. I see the way you look at the pieces. It’s your world isn’t it? The one you choose for yourself, well within your boundaries. You can be the queen in it. The king. The knight. Whatever you want. There are rules and if you learn them well enough, then you’ll be able to control it. You’ll be able to rescue the pieces you care about. So unlike real like huh?” pg. 172
“If you’re a woman, this system tears you down. Makes you doubt yourself and drop out of the chess club to leave room for the ones who are actually talented. They don’t know how it feels. They don’t know what it’s like, being told that you’re inherently destined to be second best” pg. 200
“Little things. Your reaction at the Olympics. You obviously love chess but talk yourself into thinking that it’s a loathsome thing. You feel responsible for your family, not just your sisters, but your mother too. You constantly act like you’re guilty of something awful. Like you deserve nothing but scraps for yourself””Because I am guilty. If I hadn’t told Mom about Heather Turcotte, if Dad hadn’t left home, if he hadn’t had a reason to be driving drunk at 3:00 am…” pg. 236
“I think it’s easier for you to be with people when you feel needed than when you need them. Less risky. Less messy, right?” pg. 263
“I did not cheat. The images were doctored, and my lawyers have already gotten in touch with FIDE. I’ll be going to Venice to hand Sawyer his ass. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sawyer’s team was behind this He’s very scared of facing me, because he knows he’ll likely lose. He has got his girlfriend a spot on the Challengers but also paid for Greenleaf’s fellowship at Zugzwang. This is a clear attempt to manipulate who would be his opponent and to avoid me, the strongest player, in order to keep his World Championship title.” pg. 271
“Listen, I try hard not to learn things about the people around me, but…I’ve heard about your father. I know you take care of your family. I know you’re dealing with stuff like that rusty trampoline. But if you unzip your asshole and pry your head out of it, you might realize that there’s more to life than feeling sorry for yourself” pg. 281
“Mal, our histories are not made of ifs and buts. Although, if this is the game you want to play: if you hadn’t told me about what you’d seen at that tournament, I would have found out anyway. Because it wasn’t the first time he’d done that. And your father had a long history of dealing with his problems with alcohol, and he’d had two DUIs before his accident, so even if he had still been living at home, there’s a good chance that what happened would have happened anyway.” pg. 288
“Let me tell you something: when I think about chess, I don’t think about Archie or about the other women. When I think about chess, I think about my brilliant oldest daughter, doing what she loves, and kicking ass while she’s at it. I washed you at the Challengers, Mal. Hours and hours of you being so beautiful. And even though I couldn’t understand one single thing you were doing, I was so proud of you” pg. 289
“I appreciate what you’ve done for us, but now it’s time to focus on what you want. Guilt and responsibility are heavy burdens, Mallory. But they’re also something we can hide behind, and now you can’t do that anymore. You are free to do what you love” pg. 291
“Because when I’m with you Mallory, everything is different. When I’m with you, I want to play more than I want to win” pg. 339
I’m conflicted… I liked the resolution at the end where the main character realized that she was being a bitchy control freak but I didn’t like the rest of the book where she was being a bitchy control freak?!
Also the MMC (I can’t remember his name) was so cutesy!!! That’s all I have to say.
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