Ali Hazelwood books have been a guilty pleasure over the past couple years - gotta love smart women in STEM as protagonists (STEMinists!). Check & Mate is a YA read that will appeal to a broad audience of romance fans. In this first impression, we are introduced to an interesting and lively cast of characters and I'm looking forward to seeing how things unfold between Mallory and Nolan. Who knew chess tournaments could be a setting where sparks might fly?