Mallory Greenleaf has quit chess, a game she used to love and adore, forever. After tragedies struck her family, one after another, she’s stuck at a job she hates, with sisters she hates, and a best friend that may be moving on. Suddenly, Mallory’s world has turned upside down, and at the center of it all is the illusive, mysterious, and unfairly attractive Nolan Sawyer, the #1 chess player on the planet. Worst of all, he’s firmly obsessed with her, and she doesn’t know why. Lies, love, secrets, and pain all swirl together in the funny, emotional, and drama-filled novel by New York Time’s best-selling author Ali Hazelwood.
Words cannot begin to express how deeply I LOVED Check & Mate. I believe the relationships within it can only be described as complexly beautiful. I greatly enjoyed the intrigue the author presented at the beginning of the novel, a spark between the two characters, but not yet a flame. Needless to say, this book was thoroughly addictive: from the witty banter and the realism of Mallory's voice and personality in the narration, it must suffice to say that this book was simply beautiful. I strongly recommend this book to readers 13 and above, and to anyone who gets excited at the prospect of a fast-paced, stunning, and witty romance novel. Aside from the absolute glory of my new favorite book, I was a bit frustrated at the end of the book. For one, I felt it was much too short. I didn’t have time to process the plot, characters, and relationships in their entirety because of how soon the story ended. It left me craving for more, a deleted scene, an extended scene, ANYTHING AT ALL! Sadly, I never got anything. I do, despite my grief, appreciate the uniqueness of the epilogue. Furthermore, this book mentions kissing, death, and illness. For anyone who has read this review: it does not do this book justice. What are you waiting for? Go on and read it!