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xarah's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ik it’s not the height of sophistication but idec 😭😭 an ali hazelwood is always insanely predictable (he has always been obsessed with her, third act break-up) but always so much fun to read, it’s like she puts crack in ts honestly
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism and Death of parent
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”).mary_do_12's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
guilty.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Chronic illness, Sexism, Misogyny, Cursing, Death, Alcoholism, and Car accident
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
dkamada's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Queens gambit energy + no one writes sex scenes as well as Ali!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Grief, Chronic illness, Misogyny, and Sexual content
whittiebee's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It was cute!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
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
julells's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Ein wirklich gutes Buch, wenn man sich auch für Sideplots begeistern kann und gerne Schach spielt. Sollte man den Sport allerdings nicht mögen oder auf der Suche nach einer ausschließlichen Liebesgeschichte sein, sollte man von diesem Buch vielleicht lieber die Finger lassen.
Ich glaube alles in allem gefallen mir die Erwachsenen- Romane von Ali Hazelwood (die ich bisher gelesen habe) ein bisschen besser. Trotzdem werde ich bald mal wieder mein eigenes Schachbrett rausholen.
Ich glaube alles in allem gefallen mir die Erwachsenen- Romane von Ali Hazelwood (die ich bisher gelesen habe) ein bisschen besser. Trotzdem werde ich bald mal wieder mein eigenes Schachbrett rausholen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content, Car accident, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
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
xvicesx's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
Supremely enjoyed the setting. I had another encounter with a beautiful chess book (First Move, by Jenny Ireland) at some point last year, and even at the time Check & Mate was being recommended. However, I was firmly entrenched in my unwillingness to give very popular authors a go having been burnt several times. I guess I will be again, but it is a pity that so much time passed before I got to enjoy this beautiful piece by Ali Hazelwood.
The characters are magnificent. They stand out on their own, with full lives that continue outside of the scenes they're involved in, which makes the entire novel such a pleasant reading experience. You're invested in the hardship of Mallory's situation, you want to smack Bob, you want her relationship with Nolan to work. You want it all, and that's not so easy to pull off.
So go and read this. It's gorgeous.
The characters are magnificent. They stand out on their own, with full lives that continue outside of the scenes they're involved in, which makes the entire novel such a pleasant reading experience. You're invested in the hardship of Mallory's situation, you want to smack Bob, you want her relationship with Nolan to work. You want it all, and that's not so easy to pull off.
So go and read this. It's gorgeous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Alcohol