Check & Mate

The author is not very good at writing. Sentence structures are repeated frequently, emphasis is shown in only a single way, and the conversations are... Stilted. Awkward. Unrealistic.

The main character, Mallory, is stupid - which is forgivable - and annoying - which is not. The love interest, Nolan, is so cookie-cutter and flat that it physically pains me. The middle sister, Sabrina, is like a parody of how teenagers are represented in media - except it's not a parody.

The romance occurs suddenly and with shallow buildup. The chess metaphors are inserted in a way that could not have been more hamfisted. Speaking of chess, this book commits countless crimes against chess. The author apologises for that, at least.