Ali Hazelwood

Il me tend la main, mais il a déjà les yeux rivés sur l’échiquier. L’espace d’un instant, je ne comprends plus ce qui se passe, où je suis ni ce que je suis venue faire là. Je ne sais même plus comment je m’appelle. Mallory Greenleaf ne veut plus jamais jouer aux échecs. Cette passion a détruit sa famille. La jeune femme se consacre désormais à son job de mécanicienne pour subvenir aux besoins de sa mère et de ses sœurs. Jusqu’au jour où elle accepte à contrecœur un dernier tournoi. Face à elle, Nolan Sawyer, le Régicide, champion du monde en titre et bad boy prodige des échecs. Les coups s’enchaînent entre Mallory et ce rival mystérieux, exaspérant – et très attirant. La partie prend alors un tour... inattendu. Compétition intense, secrets et tension irrésistible : une romance addictive, sexy et drôle par l’autrice de The Love Hypothesis.

Check and Mate

Sophia

I pad barefoot across the hardwood floor first thing in the morning, knowing I’ll find him in the breakfast nook, ready to tell him about whatever revelation I had during my sleep; his eyes scan every room he enters, quiet only when they settle on me, and sometimes I have the urge to lean forward to flatten the curls growing on the nape of his neck.

“I don’t know why I did that. I’m just— I’m so so sorry.”

Nolan stares like I’m the center of gravity of the room, like nothing else ever existed but me in all of space and time. It makes my heart beat in my throat, it makes me want to kiss him again, it makes me want to run the hell away.

“Touch- take rule,” he murmurs. He stands, too. Every step back I take is one forward for him.

“You touched me. Can’t stop now. Touch- take rule.”

Aimee :)

And I don't think of him again for a little over two years. That is, until the day we play for the first time.

"Hi," I say. I can't tear my gaze from his. Am I out of breath?

"Who doesn't love a good fake dating scheme."

"If you're a woman, this system tears you down. Makes you doubt yourself and drop out of the chess club to leave room for the ones who are actually talented. Oz, Emil, Nolan ... even the good ones, they don't know how it feels. They don't know what it's like, being told that you're inherently destined to be second best."

Madi Van Houten

Did it happen to you like it happened to me?

hannah 

He's staring at me like I just stole his lunch money and bought myself a feather boa with it. Which, let's be real, I kind of did.

Larissa Campos

"Why would you keep some- thing that makes you think of me?" I feel him shrug. "Because I think of you anyway, Mallory."

And to do that, you're going to have to look into yourself, and be honest about what you want. And yes, I know that's terrifying. But life is too long to be afraid." I snort wetly. "Too short, you mean." "No. Years spent carrying grudges, talking yourself out of things that might make you happy? They go slowly."

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