A review by caffeinatedromancereader
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 “Because when I’m with you, Mallory, everything is different. When I’m with you, I want to play more than I want to win.” 

Even knowing nothing about chess, this was cute. It wasn't my favorite though. I think maybe I just wasn't the targeted audience. 

Mallory, a once excellent chess player has a lot of weight on her shoulders with her mother's illness and trying to be a second mother to her two sisters. She's stretching herself too thin and refuses to ask her mother or anyone for help. She has cut off chess for the rest of her life because of a past trauma that also has the potential to hurt her family. She does a favor for her best friend and plays an amatuer chess tournament for charity, this sets events into motion that changes her life. 

Nolan, known as "The King Killer" in chess circles was a mysterious cutie. He meets Mallory when she beats him in that amatuer chess game tournament. He is instantly intrigued about her. He wants her to play chess against him, but she refuses. Of course that just makes him want to know her more lol.
They were cute together, in the typical teen way lol. 

I think Oz was my favorite character. I loved his dry, serious humor. 
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