Category: YA

Review: Ali Hazelwood's CHECK & MATE.

8/24/2023

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Ali Hazelwood’s switching it up with a YA romance that also has some of the things she’s known for, including a reserved hero who’s hard for the heroine to read.

Check & Mate has a lot to offer and Hazelwood’s voice translates to YA *so* well.

Protagonist Mallory Greenleaf is a witty delight of a heroine who can play chess with tremendous skill, though she’s chosen not to play in years after some family turmoil.

But life intervenes & she ends up making grandmaster Nolan Sawyer’s jaw fall to the floor, quite a feat since he is—as I said earlier—reserved, implacable, & doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve.

For a bit at least.

Mallory is a powerhouse lead, doing what she can to provide for her family & take care of her mother who has Rheumatoid Arthritis. She’s a boss & the way she does whatever it takes is admirable, even more so when she follows her heart.

There’s bisexual rep** in this one, a hero who makes some pretty sweet gestures, & an exploration of misogyny in the world of chess.

I don’t know anything about chess but this is a really great read that made me excited to see what Ali Hazelwood will write next!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

4.5⭐️. Out 11/07.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

4⭐️. Out 08/01.

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.[ID: Jess's white hand holds the ebook over a group of ferns.]

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

4⭐️. Out now!

Please see a trusted reviewer's list of CWs. ID: Jess' white hand holds the ebook in front of a sunset. Trees and a green field are in the background also.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

4⭐️. Out 05/02.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

3.5⭐️. Out now!

[ID: a white hand holds the ebook in front of a white bookcase & a wood desk with red tulips in a glass vase on top.]

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

4⭐️. Out 05/16.

Please check out a trusted reviewer's list of CWs. [ID: Jess, a white woman, wears an orange floral dress and holds the ebook in front of a green tree.]

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. ​

4⭐️. Out now!

Please read a trusted reviewer's list of CWs.[ID: Jess's white hand holds the ebook over a bamboo plant stand filled with various plants. A window and deck floor are in the background and a blue rug is on the floor.]

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

5⭐️. Out now!

Please check out a list of CWs from a trusted reviewer.[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing an orange-ish/red floral dress, holds the ebook in front of an evergreen tree.]

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

5⭐️. Out 08/15.

CWs: Overbearing, overmanaging, dismissive mom; lack of understanding & even cruelty from others regarding neurodivergence.[ID: a white hand wearing a brown glove holds the ebook in front of a mural with a girl’s face, bright colors, & the words “This girl can.”]

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

4⭐️. Out 03/14.

CW: Reference to parental judgement (grandparents). Reference to homophobia. Grief over losing a parent.ID: Jess's white hand holds the ebook over a table and cup of coffee in a cafe. In the background are tables and chairs, a lit Christmas tree, and a tv.

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Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.
[ID: Jess's white hand holds the ebook over a group of ferns.]

Please see a trusted reviewer's list of CWs.
ID: Jess' white hand holds the ebook in front of a sunset. Trees and a green field are in the background also.

Please check out a trusted reviewer's list of CWs.
[ID: Jess, a white woman, wears an orange floral dress and holds the ebook in front of a green tree.]

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Please read a trusted reviewer's list of CWs.
[ID: Jess's white hand holds the ebook over a bamboo plant stand filled with various plants. A window and deck floor are in the background and a blue rug is on the floor.]

Please check out a list of CWs from a trusted reviewer.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing an orange-ish/red floral dress, holds the ebook in front of an evergreen tree.]

CWs: Overbearing, overmanaging, dismissive mom; lack of understanding & even cruelty from others regarding neurodivergence.

[ID: a white hand wearing a brown glove holds the ebook in front of a mural with a girl’s face, bright colors, & the words “This girl can.”]

CW: Reference to parental judgement (grandparents). Reference to homophobia. Grief over losing a parent.

ID: Jess's white hand holds the ebook over a table and cup of coffee in a cafe. In the background are tables and chairs, a lit Christmas tree, and a tv.