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jencolumb0's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Another deeply satisfying Ali Hazelwood delight, filled with funny observations, spice, and (mostly) charming characters. (The characters who are not charming get what they deserve and it is satisfying too.)
My own lack of familiarity with chess made the (comforting) tropes feel less predictable. (Though, in the notes, Hazelwood acknowledges that she took a fair amount of liberty with chess details to make the story work out well. I would expect that, if you are a true chess nerd, this book might be annoying . . . and I’d actually be curious as to what is off, technically, about this book. An annotated copy would be super interesting. I digress.)
Mallory & Nolan are easy to ship. Arguably more importantly, as the book unfolds, it’s lovely to see Mallory put down a lot of the things she’s been carrying because she realizes that relationships can be repaired and she’s not as alone as she thinks she is: it doesn’t have to be, forever, as hard as it has been.
Somewhat relatedly, I really appreciated the discussion in the book of casual sex. Mallory is down, depicted (generally) being responsible about it (the wisdom and safety of hooking up in a car in an otherwise public place raises questions but, throughout the book, there are clear statements of heterosexual couples relying on condoms when engaging in penetrative sex ), clear that “sex” is about sharing of bodies for pleasure and not just p-in-v penetration that can lead to babies, and gives a clearly-articulated explanation as to why she chooses to share her body with the folks she does. The book is fade-to-black (which Hazelwood, naturally, still manages to make steamy but I would call the pre-fade scenes PG-13 at best). Nolan is coded as shades of Ace (or, alternatively, Pan, with Mallory being the only person he’s ever been interested in having sex with ) SO, reviews that complain about too much discussion of sex are . . . slut-shaming a fictional 18-year-old?? That’s messed up.
Personally, I found this to be a sex-positive delight that slips in neatly between binges of Heartstopper and Sex Education. Bravissima, Ali Hazelwood!
My own lack of familiarity with chess made the (comforting) tropes feel less predictable. (Though, in the notes, Hazelwood acknowledges that she took a fair amount of liberty with chess details to make the story work out well. I would expect that, if you are a true chess nerd, this book might be annoying . . . and I’d actually be curious as to what is off, technically, about this book. An annotated copy would be super interesting. I digress.)
Mallory & Nolan are easy to ship. Arguably more importantly, as the book unfolds, it’s lovely to see Mallory put down a lot of the things she’s been carrying because she realizes that relationships can be repaired and she’s not as alone as she thinks she is: it doesn’t have to be, forever, as hard as it has been.
Somewhat relatedly, I really appreciated the discussion in the book of casual sex. Mallory is down, depicted (generally) being responsible about it (
Personally, I found this to be a sex-positive delight that slips in neatly between binges of Heartstopper and Sex Education. Bravissima, Ali Hazelwood!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Abandonment, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, and Dementia
Minor: Car accident and Classism
The bullying and misogyny are challenged. The CWs listed as “moderate” are the avenues in which folks in the book experience abandonment (plus “chronic illness”).abby_can_read's review
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
4.0
📖
I have to admit it: Ali Hazelwood has me in a chokehold. I enjoyed this. I liked Mallory and Nolan. They were cute together.
I have to admit it: Ali Hazelwood has me in a chokehold. I enjoyed this. I liked Mallory and Nolan. They were cute together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Infidelity
Minor: Car accident, Alcoholism, and Dementia
filipa_maia's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
After reading 'Bride' I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I think my brain was conditioned to expect one thing and got the exact opposite.
I loved this story so much. I really like Mallory (although I found her annoying sometimes) - I appreciate her sense of family and the fact that she simply feels like supporting them; and I really like Nolan - he's just a good guy who learned the hard way how to grow up alone surrounded by cameras. They are perfect for each other.
And I loved the ending - everything was exactly as it should be.
P.S.: I love Oz, he is my favorite character.
I loved this story so much. I really like Mallory (although I found her annoying sometimes) - I appreciate her sense of family and the fact that she simply feels like supporting them; and I really like Nolan - he's just a good guy who learned the hard way how to grow up alone surrounded by cameras. They are perfect for each other.
And I loved the ending - everything was exactly as it should be.
P.S.: I love Oz, he is my favorite character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, Death, Dementia, Medical content, Grief, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Car accident and Sexual harassment
gemma_00's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Good, easy read. Focusing on sexism and gender stereotypes in a competitive environment.
Mallory is slightly annoying in a 'main character of a romance' type of way.
Nolan is a walking contradiction. Don't know how else to explain him.
But looking past plot holes, inaccuracies, the characters' similar personalities and mannerisms; its an enjoyable and investing read.
Cute epilogue
Mallory is slightly annoying in a 'main character of a romance' type of way.
Nolan is a walking contradiction. Don't know how else to explain him.
But looking past plot holes, inaccuracies, the characters' similar personalities and mannerisms; its an enjoyable and investing read.
Cute epilogue
Content Warnings
Minor: Dementia, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
sinoclock's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was a fun read. The characters were consistent and I could appreciate that, even if I didn't totally relate to some of their decisions. I think Hazelwood gets some flack for having common themes in her writing but this one definitely stands apart to me (and not just for the lack of explicit scenes). Overall really enjoyed it even tho she admits she kinda made some stuff up chess-wise lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Grief, and Infidelity
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Dementia
melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is my third Ali Hazelwood novel and she did her lil thing with this one im ngl 😋 I’m obsessed with Nolan and how smitten he was with Mallory after she outsmarted him and won their chess game. Also the fact that she is bi and has a supportive family is just 🥹🫶 bc we rarely get to see rom-coms where the mc’s in a heterosexual relationship have different sexualities other than being straight, so this was refreshing. I do agree with some people opinions that this should’ve been marketed as a new adult instead of YA bc even if it wasn’t incredibly descriptive, the spicy scene in the book was hardly fade to black either. I will definitely continue to read books by this author bc I enjoy her writing and how each book sheds a positive light on feminism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Car accident, Dementia, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Sexual content
sundayfever's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Classism, Chronic illness, and Infidelity
Minor: Dementia, Car accident, and Alcoholism
emilyferrise's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I liked this one more than her more adult STEM books. A good bit of pining, which I historically haven’t loved, but am coming to appreciate more. Romcom meets Queen’s Gambit (Netflix).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Dementia, and Infidelity
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was SO fun and so cute. I absolutely loved Mallory and Nolan and their relationship! This one had so many good moments and the banter was gold.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, Alcohol, Mental illness, Grief, Infidelity, Dementia, Sexual content, and Sexism
mikaylawood's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Dementia
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Alcoholism