Not that I would've expected any less from Ali Hazelwood, but Check & Mate was absolutely the adorable and delightful romcom I needed.

Mallory used to love playing chess, but she hasn't played a single game in four years. So when she accidentally faces the #1 ranked player in the world and completely annihilates him, she's rightfully shocked. But it's one thing to stumble into a one-time win, it's another thing altogether to actually commit to playing the game. So what if she can't get Nolan out of her head and he wants a rematch? Mallory has disavowed chess, and she has no intention of changing her mind.

What can I say here that I haven't said about Ali Hazelwood a thousand times before? I read her books for the banter, the snark, and the puns, and she delivers every single time. I feel like I always have a permanent smile affixed to my face, just grinning like an idiot, every time I pick up one of her stories. And let me tell you, I'm not above having a good time.

Instead of being the usual STEM representatives, this time our characters are chess players. Now I know next to nothing about the game, but that didn't stop me from fully connecting with the characters and clapping and cheering for their successes. In particular, Mallory was an easy heroine to root for, and I was so there for her.

In terms of conflicts, I was happy to see that Hazelwood didn't rely on her default miscommunication trope like usual. Instead, Mallory was knocking on the doors of martyrdom, and while that did cause my eyes to roll a few times, the story moved along speedily enough that I didn't end up suffering any permanent eye damage.

Since this is YA, my biggest concern going in was whether this would feel too young to me. But that totally ended up being a nonissue. The story reads just like any other Hazelwood, but with the spicy scenes removed. It even contained the obligatory main character who wasn't into sex until they met "the one," a staple of Hazelwood's at this point. But if your concern is coming from the other direction (i.e. should I let my teen read this?), well that's a different conversation altogether.

It's so nice to have an author you can rely on anytime you're slumping and in need of a frothy, fun, but never frivolous read. And so Ali Hazelwood delivers again, just when I need her the most.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

On the one hand, I did have some fun with this one. But on the other hand, shouldn't these characters be in therapy instead of a romcom?

Let me preface this by saying that my opinion here is decidedly in the minority. I see so much love for this book, so I'm inclined to think this is probably a me-problem and not a book-problem. I'm getting to that cynical old age when I should stop reading romances about silly young 'uns and move onto more serious novels about geriatric leads.

But since you're still here, I might as well tell you my thoughts.

First, the good. The premise of this book is a lot of fun, about a romance author all romanced-out and pretending for her readers. There is a lot of trope awareness within the pages, so it almost feels a bit meta as you're reading it. I also thought the banter was top notch, and it definitely had me chuckling along.

But then, the not so good. I feel like this book took every possible minor issue that the characters could have had and laid it on so thick, it robbed any semblance of reality from the story. Find out your favorite romance author doesn't believe in happily ever after? Cancel her. Caring for an ill loved one? Why not make it almost Munchausen by proxy. Love someone but can't physically be in the same location? Don't even consider long distance, just call it quits and wallow in self-pity.

It's hard to take a story seriously when it's so over the top on everything. I understand that to have a story at all, there needs to be conflicts and resolutions. And yes, sometimes one has to stretch the conflicts a bit in order to have a story last the requisite 300 pages to be called a book. But this one went so hard to town with just about everything, it started to feel vaguely farcical.

And this nuttiness extended to the characters too. At the center is Margot, the most beautiful and successful female lead ever, yet so full of self-doubt that she needs constant reassurance from everyone around her, which she manifests as rudeness and brattiness and borderline harassment.

"No, Forrest, you listen. You gave me every indication that you were interested. I thought maybe we could have a little fun in this godforsaken place, but since that's obviously not something you're capable of, I'm happy to find it somewhere else."

Yikes, talk about a red flag! Then there is Forrest, yet another one of those doormat male leads, existing solely to fall in love with and bolster up our female lead, no matter how poorly she behaves. I cringed so hard in embarrassment for them both, my cheeks were permanently pink while reading this.

And the cherry on top? They were both caring for ill loved ones, but to a degree that was so extreme, these said loved ones had to formulate complicated plans to extricate themselves from this unwelcome, excessive style of smothering and guilt/self-conflagration. My eyes rolleth out of my head, my friends.

At its core, in order for me to buy into a romance, I have to believe that people can fall in love with the main characters, and it just didn't happen here. It's one thing to suspend disbelief, and I'm happy to do so for pretty much every book I read. But the way Margot and Forrest were written, they were just a step too far beyond disbelief for me.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

I feel like to really enjoy Ali Hazelwood and her brand of romance, you have to be someone who loves nerdy science talk and wacky banter, the more the better and preferably all in the same sentence. Lucky for me, that's exactly the sort of thing I enjoy.

Let's start with the science here. Hannah and Ian both work for NASA on engineering teams that land rovers on Mars. Yeah, I pretty much hyperventilated when I realized that was the setting of their romance. It harkens back to my youth when I dreamed of working for NASA, so you can understand my excitement. Then you add in the copious amounts of technical jargon that Hazelwood always sprinkles into her stories and my space-loving heart was just blown into smithereens.

Of course as always, the dialogue was on point and had me in stitches from beginning to end. It's not just the conversation between our two mains. It's also all the side chatter and even the inner dialogue. Everything felt so sharp and witty and thoroughly delightful.

One thing is that Hazelwood's stories do tend to rely excessively on the miscommunication trope. So it's with relief that I report the conflicts in here actually make sense and it's not just two people deciding not to say simple things to each other. And since it's a novella, the conflicts don't drag on and on, but rather is resolved swiftly and with satisfaction.

I loved this story so much! I only wish Hazelwood had saved the premise for a full-length novel instead so I could've had more of it.

Readaroo Rating: 4.5 stars

Did she sound like a whiny child? Yes. Did she care? Not even a little bit.

Oh boy. Here we go.

When I first heard about this story, I thought this was it. Billed as Knives Out meets enemies-to-lovers, you couldn't get me to say "Sold!" fast enough. I immediately dropped everything on my TBR and made room for this. But alas, I'm having a hard time pointing to even one thing I liked about it.

Let me start by saying that when an author wants a down-on-their-luck heroine but don't quite know how to write one, the result is often someone like Maggie. Instead of being a character who is sympathetic and cheer-worthy, you get one who is precious, annoying, and at times downright mean. She needs constant reassurance that she's special and worthy, but she's so stuck in her pity party that all she can give back is insecurity and insults.

Enter Ethan, our nice, handsome, charming male lead who crushes hard on Maggie, no matter what she does and says to him.

"Sometimes I lie in bed at night, thinking of ways to kill you and make it look like an accident."

In case it's not clear, that isn't the murderer talking, that's Maggie speaking to Ethan. Yikes. Seriously you guys, you know anyone who's attracted to people wanting to kill them? Yeah, me neither. And Ethan's response wasn't to run out of there screaming like a banshee, but rather something insipid and flirty. I just can't.

So when you put these two characters together, you'd be right to think their interactions would be vapid and cringe-inducing. And indeed they were. Every dialogue was as dull as dishwater, yet presented like they were some sort of witty repartee deserving of swoon. Reader, I did not swoon. Indeed, I should say I was lucky I did not suffer permanent damage from the constant eye-rolling.

In order for enemies-to-lovers to work, it has to make sense why they were enemies in the first place. But here, to pile on to poor Maggie's characterization of being annoying and full of herself, her only reason for disliking Ethan, which she states time and again, is that he's "handsome and charming and . . . universally adored." Ah, pettiness doesn't look good on anyone, and Maggie certainly didn't change my mind.

It's hard to stay engaged with such bland, unlikable characters, and the writing didn't help either. During what should've been emotionally charged moments, it often felt like we were just dropped there without any buildup or the necessary cues. In fact, when Ethan revealed the big ol' secret of his job prior to being an author, I actually laughed because I thought it was a punchline and he was joking.

But what about the mystery, you ask? Well, it had potential, but ultimately ended up rather clichéd. It's clear that the focus of the story was on Maggie and Ethan, and the rest of the characters were more or less cartoony cutouts lifted from the mystery genre. And I'm willing to put up with that, if not for the very end.

Mystery writers everywhere, in case it's not clear, I never want to reach the end of the mystery and see the line "there are some mysteries that are better left unsolved, some questions better left unanswered." Uh, no. Writers, it is your duty, after all that build up, to make sure I know every which way exactly how it all unfolded. It is not cute nor satisfying to leave a big part of the mystery unsolved just because.

But hey, don't let me dissuade you. I see nothing but glowing reviews for this book, so what do I know? But if you're unsure, I've devised a litmus test:

"Dobson thinks we tried to kill Eleanor. But that's crazy. Isn't that crazy? I think that's crazy. Because you are you. and I am me, and we are not a we?"

If that quote and all the italics made sense to you, have at it. Otherwise, you're probably better off saving your TBR—and your eyes—for a less exasperating read.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

This was such a cute, short story. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday reading season, or if you're like me, scrambling to fit in even one seasonal read, then you'd have successfully met your quota.

This has got everything I'd want in a romcom—tension, sizzle, romance, and absolutely hilarious banter. Honestly, I don't think anyone does banter quite like Ali Hazelwood. She often has me in stitches, and this time, I was at the library, so I had to stifle my laughter and do the silent shakes, for fear of being kicked out.

I will say, having read quite a few books by Hazelwood now, I've come to recognize what seems to be her excessive reliance on the miscommunication trope. Yes, the guy has professed every which way how much he loves the girl, and yet, she doth protest. But since this is a novella, it doesn't go on and on past the point of believability like it would in a full-length novel. Instead, we get it all sorted out pretty quickly, and that makes this reader very happy.

I can't think of anything bad to say about this other than it's short and I want more. But then that's my problem with every short story. Anyhoo, definitely recommend if you're a fan of Ali Hazelwood and looking for a fun way to spend an hour or two.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I don't know, you guys. This feels more like a crazy fever dream or maybe a drug-induced trip than a proper romcom.

Delphie has unexpectedly died. As if that isn't surprising enough, she comes face-to-face with her soulmate in the waiting room of her Afterlife Therapist. But before she can fully introduce herself to the dreamy man, he's sent back to Earth with no recollection of their meeting. Now Delphie has just ten days to find him on Earth and get him to kiss her, or else she will remain dead forever.

You got me with that premise. It's undoubtedly intriguing, with loads of potential for the story to go every which way, all of them interesting. But almost from the very start, it felt like something was a little bit off, and I just couldn't shake that feeling throughout the whole story.

When I'm reading a romcom, my criteria isn't that high. I'm looking for banter, lots of sparks, and adorable characters I just want to squish and cheer for. But this story didn't really have any of that. I kept waiting and waiting, and eventually we reached the end.

Instead, this felt more like a zany slapstick comedy, where the heroine kept almost getting what she wanted, but through a variety of strange coincidences, all of them rather cringey, she does not. She almost runs into the man of her dreams, but she has a wardrobe malfunction that exposes her nether regions. She almost runs into him again, but instead has to draw a naked woman. She almost runs into him a third time, but alas, misses him by minutes and has to dance the hand jive on stage in front of dozens of strangers. Like, what? And this kept going on and on.

But what about the characters? Surely our heroine is sweet and loveable? Well, she's quirky, I'll give you that. And also rude and snippy. But for reasons unknown, the recipients of her ire all want to be her friend. They constantly invite her along to everything even though she has rejected them for years. The thing is, if someone were rude to me over and over, I wouldn't want to be their friend. But hey, I'm just a cold-hearted reader, so what do I know.

Okay, but surely there is sparks and tension galore? Well, no on that front too. I didn't feel even a blip of chemistry anywhere in this story. Delphie is just her usual mean self to our main male character, and he takes it like a champ and still lusts after her.

The one thing that's meant to make Delphie seem more sympathetic to readers is her relationship with her next door neighbor, Mr. Yoon. But that was a miss for me too. The whole thing gave off a weird vibe. She kept treating him like a child who didn't know better even though he's just an old man who can't talk.

So there you go. I suspect someone played a joke on me and swapped my copy of the book with one titled The Love of My Rudelife. Because that's the only explanation I have for why I didn't enjoy this book that everyone else so clearly adores.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Look at me, turning into a Christina Lauren fan.

When I think back to The Soulmate Equation, one of the things which stands out most vividly in my mind is Fizzy. In fact, I'd wager to say she is probably the most memorable supporting character I've ever come across in a romcom. She's sassy, fun, and so sharp with a comeback, it brought an undeniable zing to every page she was on. So it's particularly exciting that CL decided to bring Fizzy back and make her the star of her own story.

Of course, when authors revisit a character, there is always the fear that what made the character so special in another book doesn't translate to the new one, that the magical essence somehow gets lost. But I'm happy to report that nothing got lost here, ladies and gentlemen. Fizzy is just as scintillating and irreverent as ever, and I very much enjoyed her journey of finding her happily ever after.

The premise of this story is certainly an interesting one. I don't watch much reality TV, but I've caught a few episodes of dating shows while flipping through the channels and getting inadvertently caught up in the drama. After all, there is a reason they're so wildly popular. So I was definitely curious to see how Fizzy's dating show would shape up, and it ended up being a fun and unique one.

I will say though, I've noticed CL has a habit of writing scenarios for their main characters that are somewhat questionable and unethical, and it happened again here. The whole point of a dating show is to enter into it to find a potential mate, and you can't do that if you're already having a side relationship. This is especially true if you're the star of the show, as it makes it incredibly unfair to the contestants who are dating you. This was even mentioned in the story by Fizzy and Connor as being a part of Fizzy's contract. And yet, the book never goes on to address this moral quandary and mostly glosses over it by making everyone happy for the couple, including the contestants.

Another thing that struck me is that CL is two white authors writing a Chinese American main character, which seems a bit tricky. But they did tread gently, and as a result, struck a good compromising note. If you're looking for a book on anything related to the Chinese American experience, this isn't it. The book doesn't dive too deep or really at all into that. But honestly, I feel like that's the right call, as anything more would've probably come off as forced or inauthentic.

Thoughts and quibbles aside, I really did have loads of fun with this story. Was it a bit cheesy and drawn out towards the end, with a third act breakup that totally mystified me, as in the way of most romcoms? Yes. But that doesn't detract from how overall entertaining it was. I just gobbled it up, all the while having a big, silly smile on my face.

I never thought the day would come, but that's two Christina Lauren books I've enjoyed back-to-back. If that isn't a sign that I need to read more from this author duo, I don't know what is. The only question is, which of their 30 books should I go with next?

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Wait, The Soulmate Equation is a romance with lots of data and science in it? Okay, just shut up and take my money.

Jess is a single mother who hasn't had a lot of luck in the relationship department. So when the chance comes up to try a new dating app that uses DNA matching (science!) to pair up participants, she is rightfully skeptical. And when her numbers come back (data!) and she is matched to one of the founders of the company, she is dumbstruck. Because she already knows him in real life, and he is rude and stuck up. So how can they possibly be genetic soulmates?

That premise got me hooked for sure. How absolutely fascinating to contemplate the possibility that compatibility could be genetically encoded into our DNA, and we only need to suss out the relevant data and create an app to harness it. As a data-driven girl, I tell you this is right up my alley. Not to mention, I'm quite a sappy romantic and love the idea of soulmates.

But science aside, at its core, this is a terrific enemies-to-lovers romance, and that's one of my favorite tropes. Everyone's so gruff and uptight in the beginning, and then they slowly thaw. I was positively gleeful following along as this couple warmed up to each other and realized there is more between them than just hate and distrust.

There are so many lovable side characters in here, I can't figure out who I want to hug first. Fizzy, Juno, Nana Jo, and Pops add so much humor and heart to the whole thing, it almost feels like a loss to come to the end and have to say goodbye to them.

For a romcom, this book doesn't shy away from touching upon some of the more complex issues surrounding such a technology were it to actually exist. I particularly appreciated its exploration of choice versus destiny, and also what it means to find out you're genetically compatible with a complete stranger.

To be honest, I'm a little bit surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I had previously read a few other books by this author duo and they never really spoke to me (or maybe I just haven't picked the right ones), so I wasn't expecting much here. But I'm so glad I took the chance.

This is everything I want in a romcom—a fascinating premise, a swoon-worthy couple, tons of chemistry (har har), and the most adorable and funny supporting cast. While the unique premise drew me in, I stayed for the story, and what an absolute gem it turned out to be.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Can a book survive on nothing but banter? Well, Funny Story sure tries.

Okay, all you rabid Emily Henry fans. Before you chuck your rotten eggs at me, please let me explain.

If ever there was an Emily Henry book that I should connect with, it's this one. Daphne is a librarian (my dream job) and she's in a pretend relationship with her roommate, Miles, in order to get back at her ex-fiancé (an intriguing premise). And yet, something was missing. I kept waiting for the story to grab me, and it never really did.

I hate to say it, but the crux of the problem is that the whole thing was rather forgettable. I only just finished the book, and already I hardly remember anything about it. The characters, the interactions, even the conflicts, while all feelgood on the surface, were in fact fairly bland underneath.

I enjoy a low stakes beach read as much as the next gal, but there is a difference between low stakes and no stakes, and this was too much in the latter. At no point was there anything really on the line. The story just shambled along, with lots of banter and some minor conflicts here and there, until the requisite 300-some pages were met, and then it was called a book.

Speaking of the conflicts, I totally didn't understand Daphne and Miles' issues, or even Daphne and Ashleigh's. Do people really get so upset and potentially break up relationships and friendships over such small issues? And each one, blown up to be so important, can only be resolved after much back and forth, with pages upon pages of dialogue of each person's feelings and the associated parental trauma that was at the root of all their misgivings. It was a bit much.

Don't get me wrong, I did have fun. There were entertaining moments, and the banter was truly top notch. And it wasn't just for the main couple during romantic moments. No, the banter was interspersed everywhere and among everyone, so we got plenty of chuckle-worthy moments.

But you can't just sustain a story on banter alone, no matter how delightful it is. When the characters feel as lackluster as Daphne and Miles and their conflicts equally bland and forced, it was hard to care either way if they ended up together, which is always a bad sign in a romance.

I feel like I'm the only person out there who doesn't get heart-eyes at the merest mention of an Emily Henry book. My experiences so far have been largely underwhelming, or maybe I just haven't read the right books by her. Either way, I'll add this to the pile of Emily Henry books I've pretty much forgotten the moment I finished.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

I really hate FOMO sometimes, but every once in a while it works out. And Icebreaker sure did. For a book that is seemingly all fluff and fun, this turned out to be a bit more than that too.

Anastasia has worked hard all her life to achieve her figure skating dreams. And she's almost there, competing for a coveted spot on Team USA while attending college. But when vandalism forces her to share a rink with the hockey team, she's thrown for a loop. And when her partner is injured, she has no choice but to practice with Nathan, captain of the hockey team. But will their off-the-ice friction/chemistry help or hinder her dreams?

You know how sometimes you can tell right from the start whether a book will mesh with you or not? That's what happened here. I opened to the first page, and bam, I'm already smiling and giggling to myself. And it just kept going from there.

I love it when a romcom does the comedy part right. There were so many moments in here when the banter and the situations tickled my funny bone and lifted my spirits. Along with all the loveable characters, and this was just one big ball of cheer. Having it take place in the figure skating world just added that extra zing to an already unputdownable story.

I have to give a shoutout to the way mental health was portrayed in here. We get so much lip service everywhere about how important mental health is, yet it's hardly ever touched upon in a meaningful way in books. So the fact that this story shines a light on it and also on the power of therapy is so worthwhile. And I loved the way this couple talks out their conflicts, with so much honesty and insight into their feelings, while also remaining respectful of each other. It really is #relationshipgoals.

However, at 400 pages, it started to feel a bit on the long side, with each issue being quite drawn out. There were definitely moments when I wasn't sure where the story was going because it felt like it had nowhere else to go. But it kept going.

Also, when I pick up a romcom nowadays, I'm no longer fooled by the cartoony cover. I know it means there are spicy scenes in there. But this book really went to town on them. Not only is every single character sexed up, but there were so many explicit scenes, it felt like it was every other one. And the spiciness starts right from the beginning, so there was no reprieve from it. You have been warned.

Bottom line: pick this up if you're looking for a spicy romcom with equal parts fluff and substance. Definitely skip if spicy isn't your thing.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I love Ali Hazelwood, but this one stretched my incredulity to the limit. No one can possibly be this much of a doormat, can they?

Elsie is slaving away as an adjunct professor teaching too many classes to make ends meet. She supplements her meager earnings by being a fake girlfriend, putting her people-pleasing tendencies to good use. When a chance at her dream job arises, the only thing standing in her way is Jack, the annoying older brother of someone she's fake-dating, who also happens to be on her interview committee. But do they really hate each other or is it more like they secretly have the hots for each other? Ha!

I really enjoyed the first half of this story. It starts strong with all of the hallmarks I love from Ali Hazelwood—snark, banter, science, smart female in STEM, and puns. I was breezing through it, smiling and chuckling to myself on pretty much every sentence. No one does funny situations and dialogues quite like Hazelwood, and she had me in stitches.

I'll grant you that the premise is a bit out there. What are the odds that the guy Elsie is hating/lusting after, is also the brother of a guy she's fake-dating, while also being the only person who almost beat her at Go, while also being the guy who irreparably damaged her field of study back in the day, while also being the head of the physics department at MIT where she is interviewing? I'll tell you what, it's 100% according to this book.

But as the story went on, Elsie started to annoy me. First, she refuses to believe that Jack is attracted to her even though he tells her so on multiple occasions. At one point, she even interprets him saying "Can I take you out?" as he wants to murder her mob-style. Like what, girl?

Elsie also takes people-pleasing to heretofore-unseen heights. She lies to her roommate about pretty much every preference she has. She runs interference for her brothers at her mom's behest even though she doesn't want to. And she must get her mentor's approval before accepting a job offer that would give her several times her current salary and health insurance. Have mercy! My eyeballs were bruised from all the rolling.

It's no secret that I prefer my female characters to be strong and smart, ready to kick ass and save the world. Elsie is strong in her work, but the opposite in every other way. And slowly, over many demure "You can't possibly like me," it started to grate on my nerves. Not even Hazelwood's many comedic reliefs can save it from such never-ending waffling and meekness.

This may just have been a case where I wasn't a good fit for the book. Without being able to connect with Elsie, I never really invested in the story. Not to mention I couldn't feel any chemistry between Jack and Elsie, and it all made for a rather lackluster read by the end.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.

Ah, another satisfying romcom from the queen of the spicy read!

Hallie Welch has been harboring a secret crush on Julian Vos since their high school days, when they almost smooched in the romantic vineyards that belong to his family. Now Julian is back in town, and Hallie might finally get a second chance at that kiss. But they are so different—he an uptight professor and she a carefree, chaotic gardener—that surely nothing can come of their attraction, right?

I always dig into Tessa Bailey books with relish, knowing I'm in for a swoony, steamy good time. The characters are flawed but loveable, the chemistry is off the charts, and the dialogue is cute and sassy. Sure, the premise can be a bit over the top, and if you think too carefully, the conflicts often don't make much sense, but that's romance for you. I'm in it for the light and fluff, and that's exactly what I get.

This story's combination of tropes—grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, and second-chance romance—is a fun one and there's sure to be something for every romance reader. And the setting of a vineyard could not be more romantic and undoubtedly appeals to the lush in me.

My only small nitpick here is that the secret admirer angle doesn't really make sense. It dragged the story out longer than was necessary and could easily have been left out. But then the title wouldn't make any sense, so there you go.

Of course since it's a Tessa Bailey book, I have to mention the spice level. Her books are pretty explicit, possibly shockingly so if you haven't read one before. So tread carefully and definitely avoid if that isn't your jam.

I'm already excited for the next book. I see that Julian's sister will get her own story and I can't wait to read it.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.