Check & Mate by Ali Greenwood

The quick cut: A teen girl who left chess behind years ago finds herself playing again and ends up thrust into the world of professional playing.

A real review:

Life is rarely what you expect it to be, but what would you do if your life was holding on by a thread? Could you handle going back to something you swore never to do again in order to pay the bills? This is the case for Mallory.

Mallory used to play chess, but she hasn't touched it in years. So when a friend begs her to take a spot in a charity chess tournament, she's shocked (along with the rest of the world) when she beats the #1 ranked chess player, Nolan. It attracts a lot of attention, a long with an opportunity to play chess for pay. Can she play again? Or will it cause harm to her life like last time?

At its core, this book is a light hearted romantic story. If you want a story that will make you smile and enjoy the interactions between characters, this is a great pick! Too bad I absolutely loathed Mallory.

This might be just me, but I hated Mallory the more I read. She's narcissistic and wonders why the people in her life are hostile towards her. You're eighteen, you're barely an adult. So why are you acting like you're better than everyone? It made rooting for her hard for me as a reader.

On the opposite end, I adored Nolan. He may be competitive and have his flaws, but he's also classy. He has true competition in the form of Mallory and their playful banter shows off a sweeter side to him. The way he supports Mallory's involvement is to 100% be commended.

I was surprised how sexism in chess is a real issue. How is it possible this is still a thing?!?! The stories that reveal truths about real life are my favorites.

A fun chess romance that has a slightly unlike lead.

My rating: 3.75 out of 5