Scan barcode
A review by thedailykaylee
Checkmate by R.L. Mathewson
3.0
I’ll be gracious and give it 3 stars
This book gets 3 stars for the sake that I enjoyed reading about the life long pranks/torture the main couple subjected the other to over the course of their entire lives. I did laugh quite a bit. BUT there were some things I didn’t quite enjoy which is why I just can’t give it more than 3 stars. Let’s get into those reasons now:
1. I liked Connor for the most part, but several times throughout the story, even up to like 73% in, he still looked at Rory as less than him because of her being a woman. They both run a construction business that rivals the other, and Rory has spent her life learning the trade and is dang good at what she does, but apparently in Connors eyes, she should give her company up and merge with his and let him run it because she’s a woman, duh. She just needs to hush up and fetch his coffee. She should also be the one to sell her house because she apparently had help remodeling her home while he did his all himself. What?! She still designed it, and did the work, who cares if her brothers helped her do the labor or not? He also had the bright idea that he could steal her brothers out from under her and get them to work for him. HER BROTHERS who it is made clear that love their sister so much and would do anything for her. They even supported her in starting her business and chose to work for her as her employees, but he seriously thinks he’s gonna get her family to turn against her. It was just wayyyy too far fetched. In the end, Connor did realize that he would give up his business, home and everything to Rory to keep her in his life, BUT not because he knew she was a capable woman who successfully runs a construction business, or that her house is just as good as his with the work that she’s done, no, it was just simply to keep from losing her. I mean, I like that he realized she’s more important than his pride, but I wanted him to acknowledge that she’s a capable strong woman, and he never did that. Blah. And it seemed so contradicting but several times he mentioned that Rory wasn’t like other girls, she didn’t do drama, was strong willed and could hang with the boys, but when it came to business, she clearly couldn’t handle it because she was a woman. It didn’t make sense.
2. Rory was a strong female character throughout the book, but there were a couple of times I had to roll my eyes at her decisions. For example, she does an amazing thing and helps out Connors friend in a time of desperate need, but she didn’t tell Connor because she didn’t want to hurt him if her plan failed. Connor, not knowing what she was up to, got the idea that she was cheating on him. Long story short, he breaks off their engagement and once he finds out the truth he makes her apologize and forgives her for not telling him!!! I get that she should have told him what she was up to, but to go so far as to MAKE HER APOLOGIZE after he believed the worst of her and tied her up to break up with her?! Nah.
3. The violence. Okay, I read a lot of dark books, so violence isn’t really an issue for me, but this violence was just ridiculous at some parts. I know it was supposed to be funny, and at times it was, but a lot of it was just unbelievable. I mean the whole thing with her cousins and food. They literally threaten a young pizza delivery boy because the food wasn’t right when it was delivered. I understand being upset because you paid for something, but to threaten bodily harm over it? It wasn’t funny to me. Connor duct taping rorys assistant to a chair and leaving him for hours. Again, it was kind of funny, but at the same time, this isn’t his employee, and if something like that happened to me, you can bet there would be hell to pay. Again, it was just a little too far fetched and fell a little flat in the “humor” department in those scenes. Also, how do two people shut down an all you can eat buffet indefinitely? You’re telling me that they ate SO much that this restaurant is completely out of food and can’t order more from their food distributors and have to shut down? AGAIN with the far fetched thing.
4. Rorys dad. Rorys dad has always made her feel inadequate, and we later find out his reasoning behind his actions, And he does tell her how much she means to him, BUT I wanted her to give him hell for making her feel so unworthy, to acknowledge the way he made her feel all these years, she didn’t.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but I really can’t justify giving it more than 3 stars. And 3 stars is honestly pushing it.
This book gets 3 stars for the sake that I enjoyed reading about the life long pranks/torture the main couple subjected the other to over the course of their entire lives. I did laugh quite a bit. BUT there were some things I didn’t quite enjoy which is why I just can’t give it more than 3 stars. Let’s get into those reasons now:
1. I liked Connor for the most part, but several times throughout the story, even up to like 73% in, he still looked at Rory as less than him because of her being a woman. They both run a construction business that rivals the other, and Rory has spent her life learning the trade and is dang good at what she does, but apparently in Connors eyes, she should give her company up and merge with his and let him run it because she’s a woman, duh. She just needs to hush up and fetch his coffee. She should also be the one to sell her house because she apparently had help remodeling her home while he did his all himself. What?! She still designed it, and did the work, who cares if her brothers helped her do the labor or not? He also had the bright idea that he could steal her brothers out from under her and get them to work for him. HER BROTHERS who it is made clear that love their sister so much and would do anything for her. They even supported her in starting her business and chose to work for her as her employees, but he seriously thinks he’s gonna get her family to turn against her. It was just wayyyy too far fetched. In the end, Connor did realize that he would give up his business, home and everything to Rory to keep her in his life, BUT not because he knew she was a capable woman who successfully runs a construction business, or that her house is just as good as his with the work that she’s done, no, it was just simply to keep from losing her. I mean, I like that he realized she’s more important than his pride, but I wanted him to acknowledge that she’s a capable strong woman, and he never did that. Blah. And it seemed so contradicting but several times he mentioned that Rory wasn’t like other girls, she didn’t do drama, was strong willed and could hang with the boys, but when it came to business, she clearly couldn’t handle it because she was a woman. It didn’t make sense.
2. Rory was a strong female character throughout the book, but there were a couple of times I had to roll my eyes at her decisions. For example, she does an amazing thing and helps out Connors friend in a time of desperate need, but she didn’t tell Connor because she didn’t want to hurt him if her plan failed. Connor, not knowing what she was up to, got the idea that she was cheating on him. Long story short, he breaks off their engagement and once he finds out the truth he makes her apologize and forgives her for not telling him!!! I get that she should have told him what she was up to, but to go so far as to MAKE HER APOLOGIZE after he believed the worst of her and tied her up to break up with her?! Nah.
3. The violence. Okay, I read a lot of dark books, so violence isn’t really an issue for me, but this violence was just ridiculous at some parts. I know it was supposed to be funny, and at times it was, but a lot of it was just unbelievable. I mean the whole thing with her cousins and food. They literally threaten a young pizza delivery boy because the food wasn’t right when it was delivered. I understand being upset because you paid for something, but to threaten bodily harm over it? It wasn’t funny to me. Connor duct taping rorys assistant to a chair and leaving him for hours. Again, it was kind of funny, but at the same time, this isn’t his employee, and if something like that happened to me, you can bet there would be hell to pay. Again, it was just a little too far fetched and fell a little flat in the “humor” department in those scenes. Also, how do two people shut down an all you can eat buffet indefinitely? You’re telling me that they ate SO much that this restaurant is completely out of food and can’t order more from their food distributors and have to shut down? AGAIN with the far fetched thing.
4. Rorys dad. Rorys dad has always made her feel inadequate, and we later find out his reasoning behind his actions, And he does tell her how much she means to him, BUT I wanted her to give him hell for making her feel so unworthy, to acknowledge the way he made her feel all these years, she didn’t.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but I really can’t justify giving it more than 3 stars. And 3 stars is honestly pushing it.