In her older-YA debut, Ali Hazelwood takes on the male-dominated world of competitive chess.

Since her father's abrupt exit from her life, former chess prodigy Mallory Greenleaf has turned her back on the game she loves, putting all her time and attention into providing for her chronically ill mother & younger sisters instead. All that changes when she participates in a charity tournament and ends up beating the current world champ, bad boy Nolan Sawyer. Within a few weeks, she's been recruited to a woman-led club & adopted as an icon by female chess players worldwide--developments Mallory isn't ready to let her family see. Can Mallory find the bravery to let her walls down, embrace the game in her own right, and maybe let in some love?

One of my favorite things about this book was its subversion of typical gender roles re: sexuality. Mallory is established as the more experienced & sex-eager partner, whereas Nolan takes time to establish emotional connection before feeling sexual attraction. Both approaches are portrayed with respect--and the characters hold space for each others' preferences. Delightful!