Pages: 368
Goodreads rating: 4.10 / 5 stars
My Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: November 7 2023
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Synopsis:
In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.
Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist….
As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)
My Review:
Review also posted on Goodreads
Thank you Penguin Random House International for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Chess is an underrated sports that I rarely see in books. We need more sports romance books that highlights Chess. Not everyone will appreciate this game and truthfully, it requires strategic thinking. Check & Mate is about two chess players, Mallory Greenleaf and Nolan Sawyer. These two Chess prodigies are rivals.
Nolan is currently the number one player, the defending champion and many admired him for his unbeatable streak. While Mallory is the underdog player who returns playing the sports after an amazing match with Nolan, whom she beats in a game.
Truthfully, Mallory doesn’t want to play Chess anymore because it reminds of her father. It’s evident the sport is her passion and when she’s recruited by a Chess club to be trained and compete. She cannot refuse the offer because of her financial needs as she’s the breadwinner of the family.
There’s a lot of tension between the characters and I am pining for both of them. I love their chemistry whether they’re in a competition or not. Mainly the novel focuses on sexism in sports. Majority of the sports are dominated by men and often underestimated women. This is about breaking barriers that women can compete with the same and opposite sex. They can excel and be an icon. Very much like Queen’s Gambit.
I rarely gravitate towards YA contemporary romance. I recommend this book if you’re into sports romance. It’s well-written.
Confessions of a Pinay Bookaholic 
Love this review! I’m not much of a YA reader either anymore and this one still managed to hit the spot for me.
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