Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Check & Mate

Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

125 reviews

nabaraditi's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have never given a romance book more than 3 stars. Also this is my first Ali Hazelwood book and I'm impressed. I had a lot of fun reading about CHESS???? (how?) and the characters. Two reasons (I think) that pushed me to give 4 stars is:-

it wasn't romance heavy, it was Mallory (the character) heavy. I believe that love is a part of us and not the whole us. And this book is the same. It is about Mallory's life and her struggles, her sacrifices, her rigid thinking patterns, her passion and love for chess, her friendships, her caring nature towards her family. You get enough of it all in this book and so it was so easy to understand the main character. Also, she didn't seem superficial. She seemed real AF.
I am very much like Mallory. I have grown a lot but there are still some parts of the present me that resonate with the character.

Like I've already said that this isn't ONLY lovey-dovey book, we get family drama as well which I love. I like how Mallory describes the love interest. It seems a bit realistic to me, cause that's how I describe my boyfriend in my head. It isn't about the abs and cuts. But it's their work, their movement around whatever they're doing, in the book, its chess pieces.

The smutty scenes weren't too much for me So I love that!!.

SPOILER:-

As the book isn't romance heavy and mostly about chess and Mallory's life, we don't get to actually see how they or rather Mallory fall in love. The guy falls first, we clearly know that later. But all throughout the book as its not a double POV book, we have no clue whether they like each other, who is going to fall first. And even later, we don't feel as Mallory being into Nolan and that could be ehhhh for a lot of people. I, in fact, loved that because she's shown to be very resistent to love. So, it goes really well with the story and Mallory's character. As she has been so focused on chess and not on love, she may not even realise she has a thing for Nolan that she clearly admires. She's resisting it for as long as she can until she gives in to him cause it feels soo goddamn good and safe with him. So, I loved that part too.

I am not for rich guy romance stuff. But this is done really well in this book. There is no "i will kill you if you touch her" nonsense or throwing money to impress the girl crap or I'm rich I can get any girl crap. It's the opposite, actually. Nolan hasn't even kissed anyone cause he never felt like that towards anyone until Mallory. Isn't how sex or anything physical is supposed to be? Isn't it supposed to be intimate? IDK And I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THATTTTT.

Any of the romance novels I have read has a stereotypical virgin girl who fucks the main guy like a pornstar and the guy is the whore anyway!. But this book has a complete gender role reversal.

Content Warnings

miiino's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

3.0

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Buckle up friends, because as my co-workers can attest to, I have a lot of feelings about this book and they mostly have to do with the current state of YA. First, let's start out with the positives! I appreciate that this book shows a path other than college for high school seniors, because not everyone has to go to college. The narrator for the audiobook also did a great job; the narration style was reallly engaging.

I think a lot of adult fiction writers think that if you make your characters teenagers (which the love interest is not a teenager, but I digress), that means it's young adult. This book very much just feels like Hazelwood's other books, but the characters just happen to be younger and the sex scenes are just fade to black. In a way, the tone reminded me of Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzalez, which would have worked much better as an adult romance.

Mallory is said to be 18, but in my opinion, she reads older than that for most of the book. The entire vibe of the book feels like more college, new adult to me, which fine! But indicative of the current problem in YA which is: characters being aged up. When YA was just starting to gain traction with publishers, the average age of protagonists was probably 14-16, and you'd get the occasional older protagonist. Now, there is a lot more YA about graduating, going to college, etc. Is there room for that in YA? Absolutely. These are still problems relevant to teenagers. But to make the majority of YA set in this age group erases the group that it was originally written for.

Anyway, this isn't to say Hazelwood is a bad writer. This book is fun, it fits the tone of the other romances she's written, even if you can look past the fact that most of her love interests are Adam Driver inspired. It's just rare skill for writers to be able to flex between audiences, and I don't think that's her strong suit. Mostly because it feels like she thinks hitting the teenage voice just means throwing in a bunch of pop culture references.

This is a fun, chess inspired story that I wish would have been just published as new adult instead. Chances are if you enjoyed Hazelwood's other books, you'll probably enjoy this one. Unless you're reading them for the spice.

Content Warnings

aileron's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

4.0

inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

3.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I wanted to read this book because I loved The Love Hypothesis, since then every time Ali Hazelwood announces a new book, I instantly pre-order it and then just patiently wait. This book was disappointing.

This book follows Mallory Greenleaf, and she 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 mum, 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 rookie shock 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 game and to Nolan.

I didn’t like a lot in this book. But I will say I liked Easton. She was the only one that saw through all the bullshit that Mallory was trying to pull. Nolan was adorable and I wished he had been in an adult novel rather than a YA book because I put money on it, that man would have a dirty mouth. It was an easy and quick read, and I didn’t really have to have a lot of thought into it.

I hate third-act breakup, it is completely not needed especially not in this book over something so stupid. Also, I hate the miscommunication, it drove me nuts. A big argument and kick off over something so small. As it has been said in multiple reviews, the amount of Gen Z/Pop references were driving me up the wall, I just wanted a story where they weren’t references so much random shit. Riverdale didn’t need to get mentioned so many times as it did. Mallory’s sisters drove me up the wall and wanted to smack them most of the book and then had to remember that they were children and not adults. I went into this book being caution because this is supposed to be a YA and not a new adult or smutty book and yet the amount of times Mallory talks about sex or hookups and how many times, she had sex. Not that I'm shaming her if it was a new adult book I would be congratulating her for it, but because it was a young adult book, I don’t think it was needed.

Hopefully Ali’s next book is better, I don’t know if I’ll read any other of her “young adult” novels but I will read her next new adult book.

Content Warnings

ksykes's review against another edition

3.5

emotional funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a great YA romance but I think I’ve just kinda outgrown YA and it’s not my jam anymore.

Content Warnings

britwalsh16's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Ali Hazelwood has done it again, & though it isn’t my favorite book of hers. I absolutely could not put it down.
I loved Mallory and her struggle with dealing with her guilt & grief throughout the book, but who was she kidding when she said she wouldn’t get sucked back into the world she never stopped loving! Lol
And Nolan! Omg! I LOVE Nolan! He isn’t what you expect when you are told all the stories about him near the beginning. But the love at first sight that he got for Mal when he finally looked up from the chess board when she beat him, what girl wouldn’t want him to fall for them! He fell so hard, & he tried so hard to win Mal over! He is just the sweetest!!! I want a Nolan for myself!!! 🥰🥰🥰

Content Warnings

evelynyle_88's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Congrats on your YA debut, Ali Hazelwood!

Check & Mate is a perfect Young Adult debut by you, Ali! The idea of the story itself is fresh! And the themes... it is the first time for me reading a book about chess tournament. And I love the tropes in it! I love this perfect story so much!

For female lead... I think Mallory for me is a bit complicated as a person (but I don't hate her because I understand her struggles). And for our male lead... ugh! What can I say about Nolan Sawyer? I love him so much! He is so vulnerable and realistic when it comes to dicussion. I love him so much!!!

This book has a perfect story and perfect ending. I love how you put the ending on the epilogue, Ali! What a stunning Young Adult debut!

Check & Mate, solid 4.5⭐! Thank you for this wholesome touching story! You are really a romance powerhouse!

Content Warnings

uranaishi's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

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