CHECK & MATE - Ali Hazelwood

“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒑𝒊𝒅 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔.”

Goodreads rating - 4.01/5 
My rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 

Genre - Romance, YA

This book invites us into the world of Mallory Greenleaf, a young woman who has turned her back on chess after it wreaked havoc on her family. She's focused on keeping her family together and making ends meet with her dead-end job, steering clear of the game that once brought her joy.

But fate has other plans when Mallory reluctantly agrees to play in a charity chess tournament and unexpectedly beats Nolan Sawyer, the reigning world champion known as the "Kingkiller." Their encounter sparks a fiery rivalry that soon evolves into something much deeper.

As Mallory delves back into the world of competitive chess, she's forced to confront her past and the reasons she walked away from the game. Along the way, she finds herself drawn to Nolan in ways she never expected, even as she struggles to protect her family and navigate the complexities of her newfound fame.

"Check & Mate" is not just a story about chess; it's a tale of redemption, forgiveness, and the power of love to heal old wounds. Through Mallory's journey, readers will find themselves captivated by the highs and lows of competitive chess and the highs and lows of the human heart.