Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Okay, first off, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. I will be honest, it is my first Hazelwood read… but it won’t be my last! I picked it up every chance I got and read later into the night than usual- Because I had to know what was going to happen next. And I had to know it NOW! (I love books like that.) 🙂 Plus it made me laugh and smile while reading. Mood booster!
What’s it about? At age 14, Mallory was well on her way to being a name in the chess world, but all that suddenly changes and she leaves chess behind. Now she’s dropped out of high school and is working as a mechanic while her best friend, Easton, is getting ready to leave for college. As a last hurrah, Mallory agrees to play in a chess tournament with Easton. She ends up beating the #1 Chess Player in the World - otherwise known as Nolan Sawyer. He is transfixed. She feels like the carpet was just pulled out from under her. So begins their ultimate game of chess.
What did I love about this fun little RomCom? A sweet story, yes. But the gender reversals! I am not going to say too much about it because I’d be dishing out spoilers. But I liked the spin on the typical love story trope. Though, I’ll admit that at first, I was a little put off by Mallory’s casual sex… until I realized Hazelwood’s intentions. It made me take a moment and reflect upon my reaction and how it would have differed if Mallory had been the guy. I certainly was not expecting a RomCom to make me reflect upon my points of view on social behavior in the world around me. So super kudos to Hazelwood for that. I love books that make me think/teach me something, so a fun read that accomplishes that is definitely a great read!
What else? There’s more of a story than just a love story. Mallory has some figuring out to do, and we get to be the fly on the wall while she does exactly that. It also made it feel more like a Coming of Age-ish story coupled with a Romantic Comedy. While trying not to fall in love, she also has to figure out who she is and what wants for her life while also reconciling her past along with the damage it caused her family. (Big breath.) I found all this a bit melodramatic at times, but it wasn’t too over the top.
All in all, Check & Mate is a great read. I will definitely be sending it to a lot of my subscribers as soon as it hits the market (November 7th). Are you a current Box of Books subscriber and want to see a copy in an upcoming shipment? Let me know here!
Side note: Check & Mate is rate appropriate for 14+ years old. While I agree with the rating, for the most part, I will note there is casual sex, some language, and very brief drinking/drugs. That being said, there is way more of all that shown on cable tv today.
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