Ali Hazelwood

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…)

Check & 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."

Check & Mate quotes

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