Ali Hazelwood

In this clever and swoonworthy new novel from the New York Times and Sunday 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 rookie 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...) This novel is suitable for both young adult and adult audiences.

From the Bestselling Author of the Love Hypothesis

Check and Mate

Aimee :)

There is a beautiful, indecipherable half smile on his lips.

"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."

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

"You usually run away from me. Are you going to?"

He's right. He's also rude. "You usually lose your king to me. Are you going to?"

I was aiming for a sharp, jugular-cutting jab. But Sawyer does something I did not expect: he smiles.

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

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.

Sophia

“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.”

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.

Julia <3

“Mom won't get me a smartphone till Im fourteen.” 

“Mrs. Greenleaf" he tells Mom, who's sitting with me and Defne in the center row, "I will be purchasing a cellular phone for your youngest gremlin."

My twelve-year-old sister, who sleeps with a stuffed fox, just  asked the world's number one chess player if he came over to bang me. 

I was lied to. Originally i was scared to read this because i hear all this talk about threesomes, foursomes and what not, and people disliking it. I’m not interested in those type of books which include those, it’s not my sort of thing so yes i was worried. However it only joked about them? none of that actually happened, so i feel as if people who dislike the book and rate it bad purely because of that are simply bad reviewers. From the whole perspective, i really liked this book, as always there were parts that made me want to cry and i genuinely couldn’t put this down. Although it’s not 5 stars because i wasn’t as emotionally attached to the characters as i would’ve liked to have been, and i kind of wanted to witness more romance and more scenes between the two love interests, since for some reason i feel like i didn’t get to learn enough about the characters.

it was alright quick read not much to write home abt lol 

Kymora Wang

I LOVED this book! I really really loved Love Theoretically so I'm not sure if I would rank this one higher but it's my second favorite by farrrrrrrr for sure.

I liked chess before but I never thought I would enjoy a whole book about it as much as I did. I didn't even care for the little amount romance it had because the chess added enough tension and joy by itself. However, the romantic aspect was still fantastic.

They are younger than her other main characters - I was actually glad we didn't get a smut scene because it would've felt weird to me - but it only made them even more adorable. They have their whole life ahead of them and giving how she portrayed them I can actually believe they stay together forever.

Nolan was one of her best mmcs and I LOVED his adoration for her. He was captivated from the start😭 Also...him saying "touch-take" had me gasping for air haha Who knew he could be that hot while referencing chess

She was a little clueless sometimes and her whole "I am the single reason my family is shit and I need to be there for them 24/7" was so annoying it nearly drove me mad. But given the fact she was 18 it was not only forgiveable but understandable. Still, I was so happy when she finally pulled her head out of her ass (I want to thank Oz for making that possible). It was about time.

The Epilogue in a form of an article normally annoys me because I want to see them but this time I really liekd it. It gave enough info about them to know they are happy and in love which I love haha (and they are too young for me to care about engagements or future kids so I didn't need their pov to see things like that)

Mini-Spoiler: That she won was not really surprising but I still felt reliefed that she actually did it! I wanted her to win so badly.

I LOVED this book! I really really loved Love Theoretically so I'm not sure if I would rank this one higher but it's my second favorite by farrrrrrrr for sure.

I liked chess before but I never thought I would enjoy a whole book about it as much as I did. I didn't even care for the little amount romance it had because the chess added enough tension and joy by itself. However, the romantic aspect was still fantastic.

They are younger than her other main characters - I was actually glad we didn't get a smut scene because it would've felt weird to me - but it only made them even more adorable. They have their whole life ahead of them and giving how she portrayed them I can actually believe they stay together forever.

Nolan was one of her best mmcs and I LOVED his adoration for her. He was captivated from the start😭 Also...him saying "touch-take" had me gasping for air haha Who knew he could be that hot while referencing chess

She was a little clueless sometimes and her whole "I am the single reason my family is shit and I need to be there for them 24/7" was so annoying it nearly drove me mad. But given the fact she was 18 it was not only forgiveable but understandable. Still, I was so happy when she finally pulled her head out of her ass (I want to thank Oz for making that possible). It was about time.

The Epilogue in a form of an article normally annoys me because I want to see them but this time I really liekd it. It gave enough info about them to know they are happy and in love which I love haha (and they are too young for me to care about engagements or future kids so I didn't need their pov to see things like that)

Mini-Spoiler: That she won was not really surprising but I still felt reliefed that she actually did it! I wanted her to win so badly.

This was incredible. I’m not typically a YA reader, but sometimes do dabble. This is exactly what I am searching for in YA. The love is so genuine and pure. The emotions are raw. The connection between the two MCs is just 

This book really goes to show that you don’t need sex scenes to create a swoon worthy romance. 

This was incredible. I’m not typically a YA reader, but sometimes do dabble. This is exactly what I am searching for in YA. The love is so genuine and pure. The emotions are raw. The connection between the two MCs is just chefs kiss 

This book really goes to show that you don’t need sex scenes to create a swoon worthy romance. 

Bisexual Rep 

thoroughly enjoyed this book especially mallory's hilarious chaotic internal monologue

“No. Years spent carrying grudges, talking yourself out of things that might make you happy? They go slowly.”

mastermind" by taylor swift

thoroughly enjoyed this book especially mallory's hilarious chaotic internal monologue

“But life is too long to be afraid.”
“Too short, you mean.”
“No. Years spent carrying grudges, talking yourself out of things that might make you happy? They go slowly.”

Check and Mate From the Bestselling Author of the Love Hypothesis

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