I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.<\/p>Check & Mate<\/strong> by Ali Hazelwood<\/a>
Published by<\/strong> G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers<\/a> on 11\/7\/23
Genres:<\/strong> Contemporary<\/a>, Romance<\/a>, Young Adult<\/a>
Pages:<\/strong> 362
Format:<\/strong> eARC<\/a>
Source:<\/strong> Publisher
Buy on Amazon<\/a>

Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory\u2019s 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 \u201cKingkiller\u201d Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.<\/p>\n

Nolan\u2019s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What\u2019s 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\u2019s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can\u2019t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist....<\/p>\n

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\u2019t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent\u2026and infuriating\u2026)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\t\t