A review by morganeua
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

slow-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

2.75

I picked this up after reading Not in love by Ali Hazelwood, Not expecting it to be a ya romance because it was shelved in the adult fiction section at the bookstore. So I already kind of knew When I started reading that I wasn't going to love it. But I also found the characters kind of hard to believe because the young people made references to things I had no idea about when I was their age. And the fact that she goes so far in the chess world with so little training seemed a bit odd to me. I also don't love a lack of communication trope in a romance. So this book was engaging because of the chess plot, but for me there was not enough romance and the characters didn't totally feel true to life.