A review by marywahlmeierbracciano
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book simultaneously wrecked me and was everything to me.  Mallory is no stranger to being female in male-dominated spaces.  Before she secretly re-entered the chess world after a four-year hiatus, she supported her family as a mechanic.  But a surprise checkmate against the world’s top player upends her life in ways she never expected.  A queer queen of hookups and avoider of emotional connection, Mallory may have finally found her perfect match—Nolan, the only person who sees chess the way she does: beautiful, artistic, all-consuming.  The sexual tension between them is unrivaled, and each is healing from family trauma.  This is a story of a gifted young woman who dares to follow her dream.
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