Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Genres: Fiction, Rom-Com, young adult
Format: ARC, eBook
Check & Mate is a charming and cute YA rom com set in the world of Chess.
Mallory Greenleaf thought she was done with chess. She left the game but agreed to play in a charity tournament and won!!!! She not only won, but she also wiped the board with the current world champion, Nolan Sawyer a.k.a. “Kingkiller.” Everyone is shocked including Nolan. Winning opens many doors for Mallory, she could use cash prizes plus and her love for the sport is rekindled. Nolan’s love of the game has been rekindled as well. Mallory is a challenge that he is willing to take.
It is all about the journey with romance books for me and I enjoyed the journey Mallory and Nolan went on. Both characters are likeable, and I was rooting for them. I appreciated their love of chess. They are set up to be rivals but they champion each other, which is a nice touch.
I found this book to be well written, cute, and entertaining. I am not a chess player or a chess fan, but I am a fan of this book. What is a nice plus is that you don’t have to play or know anything about the game to enjoy this book. It is about the players, their interactions, their banter, their backstories, and their journeys.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.