If you’re familiar with the author Ali Hazelwood, you know that most of her books are contemporary romance works that feature a woman in STEM – these would be The Love Hypothesis; Love on the Brain; Love, Theoretically; and Loathe to Love You, a collection of three novellas. As an avid fan, I’ve read them all.
But Hazelwood was feeling adventurous in the last few months and released Check & Mate, her Young Adult romance debut, and Bride, her paranormal romance debut.
Check & Mate, which was released November 7, 2023, is a love story between two rival chess players. It’s told through the perspective of Mallory Greenleaf, an 18-year-old bisexual high school graduate who is constantly working to take care of her mom and sisters. She put her chess skills to rest years ago, due to personal problems that are revealed as the story is told, but is given the opportunity to play in tournaments and win money after a run-in with the current world champion. Mallory couldn’t resist the chance to provide for her family, and jumps into the world of professional chess. She thought she was prepared for all of the feelings that would accompany this decision, but she wasn’t prepared for love.
This adorable YA romance is full of friendship, complex families, chess references that make you view the game in a much different way, and a relationship that makes you wish the book was longer so you can read about the characters more.
Bride, which was released February 6, 2024, is a forbidden love story between a Vampyre and a Werewolf…who also happen to be in a marriage of convenience. Misery Lark, daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman, has her own reasons to marry Alpha Werewolf Lowe Moreland–which involve the disappearance of her best friend and the fact that she’s always been an outcast. Misery expected her year-long stay in Werewolf territory to be spent navigating the halls under watchful, terrifying eyes and trying to find out what could’ve happened to her friend. She didn’t expect the Alpha to actually seem to care about what happens to her, and she never could have expected the endless secrets that would be revealed.
This page-turning paranormal story has you on the edge of your seat with its unpredictable turns and truly beautiful relationship. Hazelwood seamlessly weaves together the paranormal elements and the classic romance elements that readers know and love. The ending also opens the world up to a spin-off sequel that everyone would love to see.
Hazelwood has successfully expanded her romance book genres to hopefully allow even more readers to jump into her writing world. Her newest contemporary STEM-inist romance, Not In Love, will be released June 11.
Freshman Emily Myers is a Staff Writer. Her email is emyers3@fandm.edu.