Summary
In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York 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 rook-ie 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…)
Facts
Published: Nov 2023
Length: 368
Genre: YA Romance
Format: Paperback
Review
I don’t think I’ve read a YA romance quite like this one before. Theres a lot to unpack…
Mallory a former child chess player is pulled back into the world of chess after beating the current world champion at a charity event. Suddenly Mallory’s world is turned upside down, but she is determined that Chess is just a job, after all she has her sisters and sick mum to take care of and past trauma that is holding her back from following her dreams.
It took a little while for me to really get into this book, Mallory was a difficult character to like initially, she has a lot on her plate and doesn’t really allow herself to be happy. I related a lot with her in terms of the pressure of taking care of her younger siblings and I’m sure a lot of other people will as well. Nolan was well, a little bland, I think his character could have a little more depth, I didn’t feel much in the way towards him.
I guess it was the chess element that really got me hooked to this book. I enjoyed learning some chess terms and what the world of professional chess looks like. I also liked how Ali used real life studies when talking about the sexism and behaviour patterns when it comes to female chess players. It sounds brutal so kudos to those women who play in real life.
My Rating: 3/5 🌟🌟🌟
About the Author‘s
I’m originally from Italy, lived in Japan and Germany, and eventually moved to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. I recently became a professor, which absolutely terrifies me. When I’m not at work you can find me binge-watching shows with my three feline overlords (and my slightly less feline husband), running, or eating candy.
Books & Other Pursuits 