When a Rogue Meets His Match

Greycourt #2

by Elizabeth Hoyt, Ashford McNab (Narrator)

The second novel in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt's Greycourt Series features an enemies-to-lovers romance with her signature blend of captivating characters and sensual romance.

Ambitious, sly, and lethally intelligent, Gideon Hawthorne has spent his life clawing his way up from the gutter. For the last ten years, he's acted as the Duke of Windemere's fixer, performing the most dangerous tasks without question. Now Gideon's ready to quit the duke's service and work solely for himself. But Windermere wants Gideon to complete one last task, and his reward is impossible to resist: Messalina Greycourt's hand in marriage.

Witty, vivacious Messalina Greycourt has her pick of suitors. When Windermere summons Messalina to inform his niece that she must marry Mr. Hawthorne, she is appalled. But she's surprised when Gideon offers her a compromise: as long as she plays the complacent wife, he promises to leave her alone until she asks for his touch. Since Messalina is confident that she'll never ask Gideon for anything, she readily agrees. However, the more time she spends with Gideon, the harder it is to stay away.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Marriage Of Convenience, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook

12 pages, Audiobook

First published December 1, 2020

About the author

Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three untrained dogs and one long-suffering husband.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cunny.
I've not heard that one used a lot to describe my lady parts. And it was hard for me not to giggle every time he referred to her vag as a cunny.
I know! I know! Stop being so immature, Anne.
I can't. I sincerely wish I could, but if it hasn't happened in 45 years, it probably isn't going to happen at all, and you should really stop pestering me to grow up. Sheesh.



Anyway. The gist is that Messalina gets forcibly taken back to her awful uncle's home by his scary henchman, Gideon. Why? Well, it appears that her uncle has promised her hand in marriage to Gideon.
Why? Because Gideon has promised to do one last favor for her uncle in return for her and her dowry. <--he secretly has been crushing on Messalina for a long time.
What does he have to do? Nothing much, just kill her brother.
In his defense, he didn't know that's what the old bastard was going to ask him to do.
Still.



Now, I'm not saying that there aren't times I wouldn't have happily shanked one of my in-laws, but I've always managed to stay my hand because I'm pretty sure my husband wouldn't appreciate me taking out his family.



So. Regardless of how much pent-up anger I have acquired over 20 years, I think it would be a bad idea to stab his overbearing sister and leave her bleeding out in an alley.



Anyway. What sets this romance novel apart from all of the others I've read over the years? What do I remember most about the story?
Oddly enough, it's that the hero is cheap. You don't see that much in romance novels. Probably because nobody likes a cheap man. But in this case, it's because he doesn't understand (due to his poor upbringing) why it is important to the upper class to have silly frivolous things that cost a small fortune. It's almost charming.
Almost.
And if I can give any advice to men who happen to stumble across this review it would be that no woman worth her salt is going to put up with anything less than your best. You don't need to go into debt to win her heart, but dumpster diving is not an acceptable 1st date.



How do they work their problems out?
Well, Gideon finds a good deal on Groupon for a couples spa date and they work all their problems out while getting a subpar massage.
Or something like that.
Hoyt's version is much better (and well-written) than mine.
Recommended for fans of angsty romances with damaged heroes.

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

EDIT Jan 7 2021: I would rate this 2.5 stars and here's why:
(this part of the review will not have super intense reactions, just some things I liked and things I didn't).

What I liked:

The Characters: Messalina and Gideon have great personalities and they are super likable. I liked some of the side characters that were introduced, especially her siblings who have personalities.

The Premise: I really liked the plot and the way it all started. I love when the hero is assigned to do something dangerous and unethical, but as time unfolds and their character develops and they fall in love, it becomes more complex and has fun action. (But I will discuss in a bit how in my opinion it falls short)

What I didn't like:

The Pace: This was the most frustrating part of the book. It starts off at a really nice pace. And then the last bit was so rushed that I genuinely thought part of the book was missing! The way the two meet and the first half is really fun, because we get to see the beginnings of their romance, and then everything just comes at you and it reminds me of book 1 where the best word I can use to describe it is "sloppy", it's like her editing team told her the book can't be longer than a certain number of pages so she had to cut a bunch out. It reminds me of when I have to submit a writing sample for an application, but it's too long so I shorten it by deleting half of it. That's how it felt and it was so frustrating because I wanted to like this book so badly. I LOVED the first half. It couldn't have been more well written, but it just felt like she didn't care to give us a smooth rising action, climax and falling action. I'm really disappointed because I loved them as a couple too.

The unfolding of events: When something that was supposed to be a really important part of the plot when messalina found out that gideon was hired to kill her brother, then she realizes he really loves her and then turns around. and at this same time, he goes to her brothers and they make a plan to expose and arrest her evil guardian. It was literally all over within a few pages. It was so frustrating and it felt like so much was missing.

The sex scenes: I am tryna figure out what happened because Maiden Lane was HOT. IN THIS BOOK HE DOESN'T EVEN GO DOWN ON HER ONCE. LMFAO WHAT HAPPENED??? They were so short and like
aight it's time to put this p in this v, I'm done, goodnight.

The Romance: The MOST disappointing because I loved the couple, but it felt really rushed. They were just starting to like each other which was beautiful!!, then they had sex, then the rising action, climax and falling action happened within like two seconds, and then they loved each other, the end.

I will repeat this. I have the utmost respect for Elizabeth Hoyt, but I was once again disappointed by the execution of this book. It might just be that this particular series is not for me. While her first one was just really really confusing and a trainwreck, this one simply had elements to love but some elements with poor execution. I love many of her other books, but this one is just not doing much for me right now.

I will still be reading the next one, and I won't give up hope that things will improve!!


EDIT AUGUST 6, 2020AAHHOOFEELLSDKFSHDJDDDAAADBABABABFOSIDFHSKJDF



I LITERALLY JUST READ THE EXCERPT FROM HER EMAILS AND GOLLY GEE WIZ SALLY MOTHERFUCKER THIS FUCKING BOOK SOUNDSSO FUCKING GOOD WOEIHFSKJDHFJSDFKJS
E

GIDEON IS ALREADY HOT STUFF I WANNA EAT HIM HES SO HOT. I AM STARVED BECAUSE I AM A SINGLE HUMAN WHO NEVER DONE ANYTHING AND I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO LOVE ME LOL HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAH BAAHAHABBABABA AAAHhhh ha ha ha hohoho


^me writing this review


^me on the inside bc i am sad all the time hahhahahahhaaaaa (smiles through the pain)

ELIZABETH HOYT BABY GORL YOUGOT YOUR MOJO BAAACCKKKKKKK. I AM READYYY

I AM SO EXCITED.

I AM NOW CRYING BECAUSE THIS BOOK DOESNT COME OUT UNTIL DECEMBER.

RELEASE IT EARLIER OR WE RIOT!!!! WHO IS WITH ME?



ELIZABETH HOYT ONLY YOU CAN SAVE 2020. I WANT MY HISTORICAL SMUT AND I WANT IT NOWWWWWW


Well, despite the first novel in the series, which was very unorganized, and the romance very rushed, lazy and overall absurd in its entire tone and plot and characters, I am still 100% hopeful that Elizabeth Hoyt will redeem this series. I hope she will revert back to the writing that I fell in love with in the first place within her maiden lane series and will bring a bit more depth into her characters.

I was very intrigued by Messalina and the mysterious Mr. Hawthorne, and I really, really hope that they get a beautiful romance, and we get a well written novel and everybody's happy! Fingers crossed!!

And please, for the love of all things smut, bring back the old sexy timeesss!!! In her maiden lane series, almost all of the couples have so much more depth and sexual chemistry that felt natural, and I do hope that will come back.

[romancelibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's official: Elizabeth Hoyt cured my terrible historical romance slump. Was this book perfect? No, but the romance was my EVERYTHING 😍

When a Rogue Meets His Match is the second book in the Greycourt series, but it can be read as a standalone. The series follows two families who were torn apart by a tragedy. The mystery surrounding that tragedy is an overarching arc that will continue to unfold throughout the series. The romance in this book easily gets 5 stars from me. This book's only weakness is the rushed climax and ending, which left a couple of small loose ends dangling. But I am rounding up my rating to 5 stars because 1) the romance was *chef's kiss* and 2) this is the first historical romance in a really long time that actually held my attention.

Gideon Hawthorne has spent 10 years doing the Duke of Windemere's dirty work, but he is now financially secure enough to leave the awful Duke's employ. But when the Duke offers him his niece's hand in marriage in exchange for one last job, Gideon can't resist the bargain because he has wanted Messalina Greycourt for forever. Messalina hates her uncle and his henchman, Gideon, but she has no choice but to agree to this arranged marriage, lest her uncle force her younger sister to take her place. But what Gideon doesn't know is that Messalina is secretly plotting to escape him once she gains access to some of her dowry money.

Gideon has wanted Messalina for the longest time, but he never had a chance with an aristocratic lady. Messalina has always hated Gideon by default because he works for her odious uncle. Gideon has done morally questionable things and he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Messalina as his wife. This is a steamy and romantic enemies to lovers and arranged marriage/marriage of convenience romance, mixed with some incredibly delicious pining from the hero. The chemistry between Messalina and Gideon is 🥵🔥 The build up of intimacy and sexual tension is delicious perfection 🥵🔥 Gideon is an anti-hero through and through, but he falls HARD for Messalina. It slowly, but surely, takes Messalina a while to fall in love with Gideon. As for Gideon, it takes this scary but adorable fool forever to realize that he's been in love with Messalina this entire time. Some of the things he said to Messalina made me swooooon omg. I don't think Gideon realizes how romantic he actually is lol.

I was completely enthralled with Gideon and Messalina's romance and they kept me up late into the night because I could not stop reading. Elizabeth Hoyt has managed to capture everything that I love in a dark and steamy historical romance novel. The plot is also interesting, especially with the roles the supporting characters played. The plot was great up until the climax and ending, which were too rushed. There was one thing that kind of came out of nowhere, but now that I have thought about it, I guess I can kind of see where it came from. But I still think the motivation behind it is a bit weak. So there are definitely some loose ends here, nothing that impacts the story in a major way, but they just weren't wrapped up properly. I think this book needed an extra chapter or maybe an extended epilogue. That's pretty much my only complaint.

A note about the Greycourt series:
I don't think this series is as dark as the Maiden Lane series...at least, so far. I think the author did a better job setting up the cast of characters here, than in the previous book. I can sort of see where Elizabeth Hoyt is heading with this series and I am excited to see how it unfolds!!

[Kristina]

Deadly Dull

DNF 35%. No rating.
My library loan expired and I could not even muster up the energy to click the renew button.
Nothing in this book was interesting and the characters and story were a pale replica of Hoyt’s better works. I found the first book in this series middling, but this one was tedious.

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

But that was the point: Messalina was his weakness. There was no way he could've let her go.

Second in the Greycourt series, this picks up where the first (Not the Duke's Darling) ended, Gideon Hawthorne spirits Messalina Greycourt to London on her uncle's orders. Gideon has been the Duke of Windemere's factotum for the last ten years and is rumored to do all sort of shady deeds for him. Messalina fears him and does her best to stay away from her uncle and Gideon. When she learns that she is to marry Gideon, her plans for running away from her uncle and taking her sister Lucretia to America rush to the forefront. With more threats to Lucretia, Messalina ends up marrying Gideon and we have a forced marriage of convenience, enemies-to-lovers, and some unrequited love.

An aristocrat such as she would never give her heart to a baseborn blackguard such as he.

The first book in the series introduced us to the feud between the Greycourts and de Morays; Messalina's sister Aurelia is thought to have been killed by Ran de Moray. This shattered their group of friends and has set-up underlining secrets and mysteries for the series. While I do think it could be possible to start the series here, you'd miss specifics about characters and emotions, you wouldn't get the full understanding and feel for some characters' thoughts and actions. The other big storyline from the first was an ancient society called the Wise Women, no worries there as it's barely discussed and only to say it has disbanded. While the first was too busy with numerous storythreads and plots, this slows down and focused on Messalina and Gideon.

His voice when he replied was husky. “Perhaps I do it for you.”

Focusing on Messalina and Gideon would have worked for me as Gideon's wrong side of the tracks unrequited love for the rich girl could have provided some great angst and tension but for as much as I wanted these two to spark and burn, they more often than not, fell flat. I would have loved a prologue showing a younger Gideon pining for Messalina, showing us why he grew to love her and provide some burning emotion. Messalina, for her part, seems to have always shunned Gideon, so we don't get her really seeing him until they are married. There's some rich girl naivety that Gideon calls out as he is from St. Giles, but there was too much back and forth from Messalina and that caused more of a dragged out feeling than slow burning. Messalina makes the deal that they won't consummate the marriage for one month and the day after, Gideon will give her some of her dowry, which then Messalina plans on using to escape with Lucretia to America. Messalina's plans never truly form, as she's fairly wishy-washy but there is some foreboding tension from the last task Messalina's uncle wants Gideon to complete and why he offered Messalina in marriage to Gideon. The Angst Big Misunderstanding comes and it felt forced in a way that had Messalina looking like she was overreacting and more so to just add some angst.

Then Messalina looked at him with dancing gray eyes, her mouth pursed sweetly to keep from laughing.
She was worth all the trouble in the world.

Overall, I did think this was better than the first that had way too much going on in it. This focuses more on the couple but while there is alluding to storylines dealing with Messalina's siblings for future books, I'm going to flip and say there wasn't enough going on in this one. Messalina and Gideon didn't give me enough for them to carry the book. I never felt why Gideon loved Messalina, besides loving that she smelled like bergamot which was repeated over and over, when Gideon was trying to bond with Messalina she thought he was playing her and when Messalina pushed Gideon to tell the truth about the task her uncle gave him, she punished him for actually telling her. I do think the underlining threads and plot for the overall series, was cleaned up and feels more on track; Aurelia's death that separated the Greycourts and de Morays is obviously going to tie the characters and series together. Messalina and Gideon were adequate but missing that usual Hoyt deliciousness.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Gideon’s comes off as an uncaring rogue at first, but as the story reveals he’s anything but. His past broke my heart! He’s longed for Messilina, watching her from afar, wanting her out of the clutches of her villainous uncle. He’s a horrid man! Don’t think we’ve seen the last of him, unfortunately.
Gideon takes on a Devil’s bargain to marry her.

I do love the forced marriage troupe. Messilina and Gideon are enemies-to-lovers because of it, well on Messilina’s side, anyhow, but oh! When the lovers part begins it’s deliciously hot!

Other reasons to love this story: Lucretia’s and her sweet obsession! Cute little seven-year-old Sam. His relationship with Messillina and her puppy, a male dog named Daisy by the youngster!

I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt for quite some time, so I was thrilled when she came out with a new series. I enjoyed this installment even more than the first book, and I don’t think it’s necessary to read the books in order. When a Rogue Meets His Match works quite well as a standalone.

I’m hoping the next book centers on Elspeth, Freya’s younger sister and kind of clueless bookworm! Well, not clueless, just a little unaware of the world. I think it could be a lot of fun pairing her with someone like Julian Greycourt, he’s so jaded.

I alternately listened and read an e-copy. Ashford McNab did a fabulous job with the narration, both male and female voices. I listened at 1.5x.


A copy was kindly provided by Forever in exchange for an honest review.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced, steamy, historical romance novel. It has likable, engaging characters, sizzling chemistry, intrigue, an adorable puppy, and a happily ever after ending. It is the second novel in Ms. Hoyt's outstanding Greycourt series, and can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this series with great anticipation. Ms. Hoyt never disappoints her readers! I borrowed this delightful novel from my library upon its release, and was thrilled to receive a complimentary review copy from NetGalley, Ms. Hoyt, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing). This is my honest opinion.

[Maureen Carden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Hoyt joins a short list of sister authors who write smart historical romances. Some authors write super steamy, some super romantic romance. The really smart HR authors add great plots and fascinating characters to their books. When a Rogue Meets His Match, the second book in the Greycourt series is no exception. As an additional treat, Hoyt sets her books seventy to fifty years before the Regency period, in the Georgian years.
The characters delight, starting with an evil uncle, the Duke of Windemere. Gideon Hawthorne is his man raised from the gutters who does all of the Dukes dirty work and will do anything to have the niece. Messalina Greycourt is Windemere’s niece who thinks she will do anything to gain her freedom and safety for her beautiful sister. Oohh that sounds like a match made in heaven. They all, separately agree to dark deals, not really knowing the motivation or cost of each one’s deal. Except for Windemere the puppet master and even he can be surprised.
There is also a beautiful, bright sister, Lucretia, and a pair of- so far- worthless brothers, Quintus and Julian. Freya, the Duchess of Harcourt returns from the first book of the Greycourt series.
In class obsessed England, it was almost impossible for people to change their circumstances; but possibly easier in Georgian England than in nineteenth century England. Gideon is determined to leave his beginnings in the filthy slum of St. Giles far behind and he plans on using Messalina to achieve those ends. He wants full entry into the aristocracy in order to pursue his business interests.
Gideon and Messalina make a startling discovery about themselves. Each one of them is far stronger, far more resilient than they, or anyone else imagined. How they came to this realization is the bones for this very good book.
I’m a big fan of the old-fashioned morality stories. We know who to hiss, who to applaud, and who to swoon over. We don’t know always know all the villains, but we might suspect. Hoyt’s great talent in story-telling becomes obvious in making the enemies to lovers theme become imaginative and fresh in When a Rogue Meets His Match
Messalina is spirited and intriguing, but Hoyt is supreme with her troubled heroes. Gideon joins a list of Hoyt’s best, such as river pirate “Charming” Mickey O’Conner, Valentine Napier, Duke of Montgomery and Winter Makepeace. These characters, with their darkness and doubts would eagerly welcome Gideon.
When a Rogue Meets His Match is the second Greycourt. The first book, laying out the mystery of who is responsible Aurelia Greycourt’s death, is barely mentioned in this book. Aurelia was the middle Greycourt sister. So this can easily be read a standalone.
My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/1/2020 : I READ IT TOO FAST :((( Review to come

Edit 10/6/2020 : I just read another excerpt... and it keeps getting BETTER and BETTER.

After reading the first two scenes released in Elizabeth Hoyt's newsletter, I say to her:

[Joanna Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just your typical Hoyt book where everyone is scheming to kill someone. No big deal.

Ok, having taken a break on Hoyt after feeling disappointed with how Maiden Lane ended, I am actually enjoying this series. Going in with little expectations helps. There are some things Hoyt does so well, and one of those things is world building. It's so interesting and atmospheric. The romance is not as strong as some of my favorite Hoyt's, but I am definitely intrigued for more Greycourt books. Messalina's siblings sort of stole the show whenever they were on page. It's a good thing her book was first. I am interested in the mysterious past events that is a connecting thread for the series. So long story short, I will keep reading this series.

[Sibel Gandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 / 5

[b.andherbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3 Morality Chain
<3 Hate to love
<3 sick bed scene with cranky spoon feeding
<3 sexy bath tub time with voyeurism and self-pleasure
<3 He messes up and gifts her flowers (which she hates) and then figures it out and buys her AN ENTIRE LIBRARY

When a Rogue Meets His Match is the Elizabeth Hoyt I adore, a hero you *might* want to yeet into the sun at first but ultimately fall head over heels for, probably after you discover you too would rub a washcloth all over his chest.

I will say Gideon taking advantage of his position to wed the woman he's pined for was a bit oh boy, that's a lot, but ultimately I forgave him, and we also get over him wanting to murder her brother too.

Super fun, super hot. Highly recommend.

[kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gideon Hawthorne is the hired fist of the terrible Duke of Windemere. When he tries to quit, the Duke offers Gideon his niece, Messalina Greycourt as a reward for completing one last task. They wed, eventually bed, and get around to feeling feelings. Oh, also Gideon's supposed to kill Messalina's brother while someone's trying to kill Gideon. So, y'know. Drama.

1. CALL OUT: my copy included a "novella" meaning that the book just suddenly ended at 67% completion.

2. I don't know, you guys: this was fine? it wasn't great—it's not even good, I think—so I'm a bit stymied how to talk about it. First because it felt so short and second because it's the second in a series that I don't think I care about? Like, the Greycourt History includes an abusive uncle (Duke of Windemere); dead parents; a dead twin; broken ties with the bff family that may (or may not) be responsible for the dead twin... IDK, it's a lot and it doesn't feel fresh or interesting or anything? Like, I'm already wondering if the twin is going to turn out to be not dead (I mean why else the secret society of women plot points since everything else is overly reliant on Traditional Romance Nonsense?) and her return will spur on the healing of all the Dumb Men she left behind, including the one who was maimed (and would clearly be her romance hero)?

And honestly? I don't know if I care enough to wait and see.

(Although I am intrigued by Julian and Elspeth. Probably. Maybe.)

3. The thing that really bothered me about this was how much the heroine's emotional turmoil was entirely self-motivated. Other than the marriage itself, the revelation about the timing of sex and Gideon's beating, Messalina ping pongs back and forth and back and forth about how she's feeling non-stop. She swings from loathing Gideon to basically being enamored of him in like five chapters; after the sex-timing realization, the tempo picks up and she swings from love to loathing in literal pages.

4. Meanwhile Gideon's journey is more like "I'mma kill her brother but I'll make sure she doesn't know it was me" to "Maybe I shouldn't kill her brother" and that's IT. He starts out obsessed / adoring of Messalina and only has to take a half-step to the left before he's realizing he's in lurve with her or something. It was underwhelming.

5. The sex was sex. IDK: I expect better of Hoyt's boners.

6. When every man has long hair I get bored.

7. Called the secondary villain from like Chapter 3?

8. Honestly: unless you're really into like.... half-assed romances, I would say give this one a pass? (1.5 stars)

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ (Something broke the tension for me in this one! But initially the build up was really good)
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Not much
Perspective: third person from mostly the hero and heroine (but also from some side characters like the heroine’s brother Julian)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, one month later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley that I am incredibly late on
Why I chose this book: I made it a goal this month to read through some of my old NetGalley reads I’m behind on – I liked book 1 of the series and was happy to read more in the series.
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

Should I read in order?
Probably best in order?? Though I do think you can read alone for the romance. There are some overarching themes from book 1 to this book. (but it’s not as overlapping as Maiden Lane!)

Basic plot:
Gideon is getting everything he wants with a forced marriage to Messalina – but what he promises in exchange will jeopardize it all.

Give this a try if you want:
- Georgian romance – 1760
- mostly London setting
- unrequited love from the hero
- forced marriage
- enemies to lovers (on heroine’s side – she hates him)
- antihero
- protective hero
- heroine nurses hero back to health
- pets – heroine gets a puppy from the hero
- medium steam – 3 full scenes

Ages:
- hero is around 30 (mention of an event that happened ten years ago where the hero couldn’t have been over 20), didn’t catch heroine but would guess 20-something...

First line:
There is never a good time to be accosted by highwayman.

My thoughts:
Ugh I was ALL IN with this story in the first third or so. Like I adored everything about it. I was swooning over lines left and right (I have some in my quotes below) and just loved this story.

But...something happened to me with the intimacy in the novel. When it finally came, I was so disappointed in it and it really broke the tension and build up for me. I don’t know what exactly it was – he just wanted her so, so badly. And then when he had her, I think I just lost some kind of emotional piece that I needed during those scenes….and I have read some of her Maiden Lane series so I know she can write those gutting emotional aspects in the bedroom….But the middle really fizzled for me because of this.

I did like the ending though and the all is lost moment really tore me up. So, a lot I really adored about this novel but something prevented it from being perfection to me.

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 7
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: Scandalous Desires

Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize


But Gideon had spent years watching Messalina’s face. He knew he had to prepare both his offense and his defense.
His grip tightened around her upper arm. It was unlikely that she’d run off into the dark streets of London – Messalina was no fool – but the old man was doing his best to provoke her. And Gideon would be damned before he lost her now.
---
“Because, Messalina, I want you, I want your wealth. I want your rank. I want the power and influence your family name will bring me. But most of all?” – He cocked his head, bringing his hand up to glide along her cheek, not touching but so close she felt the heat of his fingertips like the ghost of a threat- “I want you.”
---
“I don’t wish to couple with you.”
“You hurt me.” He placed his hand on his chest as if in jest, but his smile was hard. “I’m afraid you cannot remain untouched. I’ll have no reason for you or any of your family to try for an annulment. And besides” – he tilted his head mockingly – “I do want to fuck you.”
---
His eyebrows winged up as if he were surprised she’d agreed. His black eyes were suddenly intent as he watched her.
“Never forget,” he said softly. “No matter the duke’s power, I will keep you safe. You are...important to me.”
---
He laughed.
She stared, for she couldn’t remember seeing him laugh before. Hawthorne grinned slyly, smiled cynically, smirked and sneered. He did not laugh.
His obsidian eyes crinkled, his white teeth flashed, and a dimple appeared on his cheek. He was gorgeous. She cuaght her breath, a frisson of desire rippling down her center.
“Would you…” Messalina had to stop and clear her throat. “Would you like me to...to help you with your hair?”
He cocked his head, a smile still hovering around his sensuous lips. “You wish to act my valet?”
Was he mocking her? She raised her chin. “Yes, if you want.”
“Oh, I want,” he said softly.
---
Messalina bit her lip, quelling the smile that threatened to take over her face, and opened the letter.
I AM BATHING.
That was the entire note, but Messalina knew an invitation when she received one.
---
“Join me,” he whispered.
She looked doubtfully at the bathrub. “It’s too full. The water will spill out if I get in.”
He pulled her closer. “I don’t care.”



Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- toxic and abusive uncle is a side character and manipulates the family members including pushing murder
- some scenes of violence, gunshots, etc
- death of family/friends remembered
- death of a child/hanging remember on page
- hero has some PTSD from his past
- remembrance of neglect and abuse as a child, including starving
- hero is attacked and scenes of recovering

Author content warnings? Didn’t catch any


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story: These percentages will be off because I have a preview of another author’s story at the end of the book so the story ended at about 60 some percent.

Safe sex: No
How’s the consent? Overall, it’s okay but there is a forced marriage to the hero and some dark and dubious elements at play
Pregnancy/children in story? There are some child side characters in the story with some decent page time – I don’t recall pregnancy but there may be mention of starting a future family as a possibility and they kind of unofficially adopt children into the home that need a home
26% - kiss in the carriage
30% - kiss while he is in the bath and then implied hero self pleasure
38% - 🔥 missionary followed by a shorter morning after scene
She ached.
He sat up, taking all that sensation with him, and she couldn’t help but grasp for him.
He growled, pulling her chemise over her head.
47% - 🔥 fingering for her and her on top in the bath
He turned his head to kiss her jaw. “Come for me, darling.”
64% - 🔥 kisses, sex on the settee
”Touch yourself for me,” he gritted out, sounding as if he tore the words from his lungs. “Please, darling.”


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgement (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (4) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


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Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series: Greycourt #2
Publication Date: 12/1/20
Number of Pages: 496
*** Maybe 3.5 Stars ***

The first book in this series, Not The Duke’s Darling, was published in December of 2018. That means this book has been a long time coming! I have read and devoured all of this author’s other works – especially the Maiden Lane series – so I always look forward to anything new she’s written. I’m sad to say this book (series) just doesn’t ‘feel’ like an Elizabeth Hoyt book to me – you might feel differently. It left me with more questions than answers. I adore continuation type series – where each book solves a small part of an overarching mystery or problem, etc. But, in this one – I still don’t know what the mystery is nor do I have any idea what part, if any, was solved here.

The first book made a big deal about the heroine being part of a group called the Wise Women and I was thinking – Cool – I like it. Then, it just sort of disappeared and I never did understand it. The Wise Women are mentioned again in this book, but – again – it didn’t really play any significant role. What is the deal?

Years ago, there was the Greycourt Tragedy. I’m not sure of the details of what happened (I told you I had more questions than answers), but it tore two families apart, well, actually three families, I guess. Anyway, a Greycourt sister ended up dead and a de Moray brother lost a hand, etc. This book didn’t further any understanding of that situation either – but it talked about it a lot. I’m assuming that maybe we’ll learn more in the other Greycourt sibling’s books.

Gideon Hawthorne was born in St. Giles to a light skirt mother and an unknown father. He knew more hunger and cold than anything else. Survival was hard – nearly impossible – but Gideon managed. He learned to knife fight and became the best at it – yes, it was a sport. He was ruthless and determined never to lose – and he was also determined to work his way out of St. Giles no matter what it took. So, at seventeen (or so), when the Duke of Windmere, Augustus Greycourt, offered him a job, he jumped at it. He didn’t care what he had to do as long as it meant getting out of St. Giles. He now has enough wherewithal to leave the duke’s employment – but, the Duke makes him an offer he can’t refuse for doing just one last task. Gideon has long admired Messalina Greycourt and the Duke offers Gideon her hand in marriage. Gideon doesn’t know what task will be asked of him, but for Messalina, he’ll perform it.

Messalina Greycourt has had a tragic life and living under the thumb of her very, very evil uncle makes that life even more tragic. When Messalina is brought to her uncle’s home, she is told she will be marrying Gideon Hawthorne – a man she dislikes immensely. She refuses, but her uncle makes threats against Messalina’s sister, Lucretia, – and Gideon offers her a compromise, so she agrees.

The only Greycourt I even remotely liked was Lucretia. I did not like the brothers Julius and Quintus – and Messalina made me want to spank her. Maybe their problem is the gosh-awful set of names with which they were saddled. I fully expected to dislike Gideon – I mean he basically marries a woman who wants no part of him – she’s forced into it – and he’s been the Duke’s Fixer for a great many years, so he hasn’t been a nice man. But – I didn’t dislike him at all – in fact, I liked him very well. It was Messalina I disliked. I actually understand her plotting to leave Gideon once she got her money. But then, she started to warm up to him and I’m thinking – this could be good – and then she went off the deep end again. She made me insane. When she asked him to be honest with her – and he was – she either didn’t pay any attention to the part where he said he was NOT going to do what the Duke asked – or she ignored it. Her reaction was so very implausible, childish, and over-the-top. I was tempted to stop reading right there.

The story was basically a good one, but there is just so much going on – plots, sub-plots, plots-within-plots so it was a pretty hard task to keep up with it all as well as the romance too. It just left me feeling a little unsatisfied – with too many unanswered questions. Anyway, I guess the bottom line is – it was a good enough read, but I wouldn’t read it a second time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Crystal's Bookish Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gideon works for the Duke, doing all kinds of unspeakable things. He us charged with one last task before he gets his freedom, it's a task Gideon really does not want to do, but the reward is everything he's dreamed of: the Duke's niece, Messalina's hand in marriage. Messalina isn't exactly excited about the prospect of marrying Gideon, but he promises her he will not touch her unless she asks.

This was everything I wanted in an Elizabeth Hoyt book! Complex plot with plenty of mystery. Great nods to St. Giles Street and the Maiden Lane series. Longing, love, and plenty of steam in my romance. And the hero buys the heroine a puppy! I loved this so much and can't wait for the next one!

I received an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why does it feel like it has been absolute ages since I’ve read a Elizabeth Hoyt book!? I guess it’s because I’ve been missing her writing that I was excited to dive into this one. Hoyt is one of my favorite Historical Romance writers because of her ability to write such different characters and scenarios for her books and WHEN A ROGUE MEETS HIS MATCH is definitely one of those books that doesn’t follow a mold. I mean, the book opens with the heroine throwing pee at someone. It’s definitely a different kind of Historical book.




I found that the romance between Gideon and Messalina was very interesting. They don’t seem to be a match at all in terms of personality, but I think that was what made this book work. These two opposites don’t really go together, but through a promise, things begin to develop between them.

Gideon was a hero that I was a little slow to warm up to. He’s much more rougher around the edges and so, some of the things he said didn’t rub me the right way. But thankfully, Messalina has a good head on her shoulders and she handled him beautifully, proving that Gideon definitely needs someone like Messalina in his life.

I love Hoyt’s writing and felt like I had missed it a lot until I read this book, so I am excited to see more from her. I just wish that it didn’t take so long between releases. More Historical Romances like these need to be released!

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the bad boy Gideon Blackwell (man with a hidden softer side) and the intelligent young woman, Messalina Grecourt. Certainly the bigger mystery are the family and friends of Messalina. The opening was certainly different.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a perfectly lovely time diving into this one. But I also didn't find myself as drawn into it as I could have been.

Too much baggage between them. Great chemistry, but too many false starts. I've read more gripping tales by this author.

4/5 stars

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...]]

Messalina must have one of the most unfortunate heroine names that I've come across (Messy, anyone?? *facepalm*) but damn gurl, I luv ya! :-*

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was totally, extremely okay. I feel much the same way about this one as I felt about the first in the Graycourt series. Whelmed.

The hero, Gideon, is a bully for hire who works for a very unpleasant nobleman. He has coveted the heroine, the unpleasant nobleman's niece, for the last forever years. So when he is offered her hand in marriage for a "special" job, he jumps at it. With Messalina and her dowry, he thinks he can break into the aristocracy and make his fortune.
Messalina thinks this is all a complete crock of The Worst Idea Ever, but since her opinion is not solicited, she finds herself married. She has wrangled a month before the marriage is consummated, and she plans to take her younger sister and hit the road to the American Colonies. Thusly getting away from both her Gross Uncle and her Unwanted Husband.

SPOILERS AHOY!

And here is where, for me, the fit hits the shan, because:
Turns out that the job Uncle Unpleasant wants done is the murder of his heir, Messalina's oldest brother. So yeah, it is going to be a little awkward at family dinners.
And in about three days Messalina is starting to have warm feelings towards the man who forced her into wedlock. For no reason other than he is (of course) very good looking, she starts to think he has hidden depths (he doesn't).
It was just so unrealistic. And I KNOW that there is just so much in most romance novels that is unrealistic and ridiculous. I know that! I just could not suspend my disbelief for this one. One day Messalina hates her husband's guts, he gives her a puppy, and blammo, she thinks she loves him. I like puppies as much as the next person, but No.
Messalina finds out that Gideon is a big old liar who rushed her into bed when he realized her brothers could force an annulment. What she thought was True Love was actually I Have the Hots for You and Really Need Your Dowry.
After three attempts on his life, Gideon starts thinking someone might want him dead. He still hasn't murdered his brother-in-law. His wife hates his guts. So he mans up and has a long talk with her about everything that is happening. HA. As if. Instead, he buys her a library. Listen, I like books way more than the next person, and even a library would not have made me like him, because he was going along acting like a complete selfish schmuck. A little honest communication would have gone farther than a library.
In the end, the library and the puppy, and the fact that Gideon does NOT whack her brother, makes Messalina fall right back in love and it is all happy endings.
They find out who was trying to kill Gideon, but if you could not figure that out before they did, you were not trying very hard.
I like most of Hoyt's other books, but this one was just okay.

I do hope that in the next book we find out who killed the golden Aurelia.

[book bruin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enjoyable historical romance! I am always a fan of the grumpy hero who only shows his tender side to the heroine and Elizabeth Hoyt got it exactly right with Gideon Hawthorne. This is my first book by the author, but it certainly won't be my last. When a Rogue Meets His Match is book two in the Greycourt series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. I didn't read book one prior to jumping in and though I was able to figure out what was going on easily, I think there would have been a lot more depth to the story and characters if I had.

The romance between Messalina and Gideon was really great, but I did wish there was more insight into why Gideon loved her so much. Messalina's change of heart felt much more realistic because it was so gradual. Plus, who could resist after hearing some of the swoony things Gideon said? *sigh* A lot of time was spent on the progression of Gideon and Messalina's relationship, so the overall pacing of the story felt a little slow. There was also some predictable drama towards the end, but it wasn't dragged out and resolved itself very quickly. I did feel that one of the twists was unnecessary though and didn't seem to add much to the overall story. The secondary characters were wonderful and I really hope that Messalina's other siblings also get books in the future (especially Lucretia)!

CW: death of sibling/family member, anxiety, violence/knife fighting

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite tropes ever is marriage of strangers. While Messalina Greycourt and Gideon Hawthorne aren't complete strangers they definitely come from two different worlds. This is everything Gideon ever wanted even if it will take some time to convince Messalina this could be more than she ever dreamed.

Gideon has a lot of the qualities I really like in a male lead. He is strong, focused, determined and while he might seem gruff and unrelenting to the outside world, to the woman he has wanted for years he is kind, patient and cunning. I immediately liked him and his very broken history. He overcame a lot and is almost free of Messalina's uncle.

Messalina wasn't excited about her impromptu wedding. But she will do whatever it takes to keep her sister safe. Gideon was just the hired thug to her but seeing his home and the life he is trying to build all of that is changing. No matter what she has led a pampered life and seeing the world through her husband's eyes has opened hers.

Just a few problems to overcome. Gideon accidentally agreed to kill Messalina's brother when he said he'd do one final job for her uncle. He probably should have gotten the job details first. He also has to convince his new wife to stay with him as she is ready to bolt as soon as he gives her a portion of her dowry after the consummation of their marriage. Little issues.

I liked both characters and Gideon being pretty broken was easy for me to root for. I do wish that the uncle got more of a comeuppance in this but there are other siblings to go through so I guess that will all come later.

Overall a cute Historical Romance read with a few steamy scenes. That said this still hasn't come close to being quite as enjoyable as the Maiden Lane series that I fell in love with. Here is hoping that changes the more stories told of this family.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed. The rating is rather generous, thanks to a timely appearance by the heroine's sister Lucretia.
When I finally get my thoughts on this sorted out I may write a real review.

I will mention that Messalina's insta-lust for Gideon had me rolling my eyes--a lot! She has just been forced to marry him; she wants nothing to do with him, but still manages to think he's hot.
:::gag me with a spoon:::

FYI, I thought the Kelly Bowen story that shares the volume was better than Hoyt's novel. I now need to read some more by Bowen.

[GigiReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Greycourt series. It was a marriage of convenience-opposites attract-enemies to lovers with a dash of Beauty and the Beast and it was an absolute delight. I devoured it in one long plane ride.

Gideon Hawthorne is a hitman for the Duke of Windermere. Assassin heroes are my catnip because they are a cornucopia of emotional issues and Gideon didn't disappoint. Gideon wants to free himself from the old evil duke's clutches. For reasons I didn't quite understand the Duke will give Gideon the object of his unrequited love, his niece Messalina Gerycourt, and his freedom if Gideon will perform one last task.

Messalina has her pick of suitors but she accepts the marriage mostly because she sees Gideon as her means to escape her uncle's evil clutches. They both see each other as a means to an end. Gideon tells himself he needs his beautiful bride to open doors to the rarefied world of the aristocracy and Messalina needs Gideon so she can get her hands on her dowry and run away with her sister. Of course, they are both horny for each other from the word go and their relationship development is where the book shines. I was shown and not told about both of them getting to know one another, fighting their sexual attraction, and peeling the layers back.

Gideon is my favorite kind of hero: dark and deliciously emotionally stunted. His character arc is my favorite thing about this book. Hoyt is also a master at building sexual tension and this book is chock full of it, the sex scenes are steamy, the love story is solid and the angst was to die for. But, I did find Messalina a tad boring after the very promising opening chapter, and also since I didn't read the first book I felt like I was walking in the middle of their story. I felt mostly lost and struggled with the plot for the entirety of the book and I found the huge cast of characters super confusing. I also wished that one certain characteristic about Gideon's career choice had been a little clearer but maybe it will be in the published copy. That being said, I really enjoyed the love story even if the rest of the overarching plot was hazy and the heroine was kind of meh.

4 1/2 stars. Highly Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.

[EmpK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading excerpts of this book via Hoyt's email newsletter, and when an ARC showed up, I snapped it up like a hog at feeding time.

So here's the good news about this book: it's MUCH better than the first one. The interplay between the characters is great-- you can feel the tension from page 1, as these two are in a real battle of goals and wits. The family members and other random characters add interest and depth to the story.

The plot boils down to this: Messalina wants to save her sister from the clutches of her vile uncle. To do this, she has no choice but to marry her vile uncle's Man Friday, Gideon Hawthorne.

The first half of the book is really strong because the couple seem evenly matched.
The book does a great job talking about class, the difficult lives that most people in Georgian England led and I like that Hoyt doesn't romanticize the castles and jewels and gowns as some historic romance novels tend to. This is an inter-class marriage and Hoyt does a great job of showing what that entails.

For me the book starts to fall apart two-thirds of the way through when Messalina repeatedly punishes Gideon for unfair expectations she has of him. At one point she even asks him to tell the truth, he does, and she high-tails it out of there! Not cool, Messalina, not cool.

Hoyt is perfectly capable of writing more evenly-balanced couples-- her Four Soldiers series did exactly that. Here though, she tilts a little too much to the woman having power in the relationship, which for me makes the story less interesting. To be fair, I hate books that skew the other way too. To me the best romances balance the power and aspirations of both.

3.5 stars.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, seductive, and entertaining!

When a Rogue Meets His Match is set in London during the late eighteenth century and features the spirited, intelligent Messalina Greycourt who after reluctantly agreeing to wed the dangerous, yet roguishly handsome Gideon Hawthorne finds herself inadvertently falling for his hidden charms and tender nature.

The prose is witty and sharp. The characters are tough, feisty, and passionate. And the plot is a delightfully scandalous blend of familial drama, Georgian traditions, desire, deception, betrayal, danger, gossip, tricky situations, and titillating romance.

Overall, When a Rogue Meets His Match is an adventurous, compelling, highly amusing tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the second title in the Greycourt series by Hoyt, and if you ask me this series just keeps getting better and better.

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #2 - Greycourt series, with (one-sided) enemies-to-lovers and forced marriage tropes.

Elizabeth Hoyt’s 2nd book in the Greycourt series features Messalina Greycourt and Gideon Hawthorne. Gideon has been doing nefarious activities for the Duke of Windmere over the past ten years. He has one more job to do before getting out from under the Duke. But what the Duke requests is something Gideon cannot do.. so the Duke offers Gideon marriage to his niece, Messalina Greycourt, to entice him. Of course Gideon changes his mind and goes forward with the Dukes rotten plan.. after all he’s been infatuated with Messalina since he first laid eyes on her ten years prior. Messalina is not thrilled about the quick marriage but goes along with it until she doesn’t. I love Elizabeth Hoyt’s stories and oh boy did this have plenty of drama! I do wish their romance would have had more oomph to it though which I’ve come to expect in her books. Book 3 is next on my list. ❥ 4 stars — Pub. 12/1/20

I received an arc copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"4.5 stars" It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for this second installment of Elizabeth Hoyt’s new Greycourt series. I read the first one just over two years ago, so it’s been a long time between books, making me very eager to dive into When a Rogue Meets His Match. This one features Messalina, the second-oldest (I believe) of the Greycourt siblings. At the end of the previous book, she was spirited away by Gideon Hawthorne, her evil uncle’s bully boy, and this one begins with him returning her home, where her uncle essentially forces her to marry Gideon. Messalina doesn’t like him much, but she makes a deal with him in order to get part of her dowry, intending to use it to escape. But the more time she spends with Gideon, the more she starts to see unexpected depths in him and begins to fall in love. But when she finally finds out that her uncle offered Gideon her hand in marriage in exchange for killing her oldest brother, all bets may be off.

Messalina’s parents died when she was just a girl. She and her sister, Lucretia, were sent to live with a maiden aunt, but when the aunt died, too, they ended up in the custody of their horrible uncle. Tired of being controlled by a man, Messalina is an independent woman with plans to forge her own path in life. If she marries, she wants to choose her husband, but she’s equally content with the idea of running away with her younger sister and starting a whole new life. Then Gideon all but kidnaps her from a country house party she was attending, returning her to her uncle’s clutches. There she’s informed that she’ll be marrying Gideon, a prospect that she vehemently refuses, until he strikes a bargain with her. He offers to give her half her dowry money in exchange for willingly consummating their marriage within one month. Deciding that she can bear sleeping with him just once in order to get the funds she and Lucretia will need to run away, Messalina agrees. However, as she lives in the same house with him over the next few weeks, she begins to see a different side of him that makes her decision to leave harder and harder until she discovers the awful truth of why her uncle offered her to Gideon in the first place. Messalina strikes the perfect balance between being confident and independent while also being sweet and kind. Having known Gideon for a number of years and knowing what he does for her uncle, she’s never really liked him even though he’s quite physically attractive. But as she begins to uncover all the little hidden depths to his character, she can’t help falling for him. I also liked that in spite of her growing up as an aristocrat, she isn’t a snob. While she hasn’t necessarily thought much about what life is like for the lower classes, she’s very open-minded when Gideon schools her on these realities and she genuinely wants to do something to help the less fortunate. That extends to generously and patiently teaching Gideon about what will be expected of him if has any hope of fully entering and being accepted by society. Ultimately she also manages to love him in spite of his deeply checkered past.

Gideon had a very rough life growing up, and by the time he reached his teen years, he was a champion knife fighter. This is where Messalina’s Uncle Augustus found him and offered him a job doing all his dirty work. Through the years, he’s observed Messalina and knows all the little things that make her who she is. Although he doesn’t really realize it until late in the story, I believe he’d fallen in love with her before he ever married her, because she was the only one he wanted. Eventually growing tired of working for Augustus and having used the money he earned to build his own business, he decided to leave Augustus’s employment. But given that he was the one who knew where all the bodies were buried so to speak, Augustus was reluctant to let him go. He struck a bargain that Gideon would do one last unnamed job for him and in exchange he could have Messalina’s hand in marriage, which was too sweet a deal to pass up. Of course, it wasn’t until after he married Messalina that he discovered the job was killing her brother, Julian, and that Augustus would be holding back half the dowry money until the task was completed. Despite all the nasty work he’s done for Augustus, Gideon has never killed a man in cold blood before, so it pricks his conscience. Still, he’s determined to get the money, something he needs to build out his investments in the coal mining business and finally be accepted by society. But the more time he spends with Messalina, the weaker his resolve to do it becomes until he knows he would lose her if he did, something he simply cannot allow to happen. Normally I fall hard for Ms. Hoyt’s heroes, even the rough-around-the-edges ones like Gideon, and in general, I did like him. All the little tidbits of his character development made me pretty sympathetic toward him, but for some reason, I still didn’t quite fall all the way in love with him.

Overall, in spite of my uncertainties about Gideon, When a Rogue Meets His Match was another great story from this favorite author that I enjoyed. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was about Gideon that didn’t entirely work for me, something that rarely happens. Although he shows care for Messalina right from the start, he is rather mercenary in his pursuits, so perhaps it was that. Or maybe it was because for the better part of the story, he was pretty intent on killing Julian. He also didn’t seem to be quite as generous of a lover as Ms. Hoyt’s heroes usually are. I’m not really sure what it was, or maybe it was everything combined. Also while the ending was sufficiently satisfying, it doesn’t quite wrap up in a neat little bow. We never find out exactly why Augustus wants Julian dead, and the suspicious death of Messalina’s sister, Aurelia, remains a mystery as well. However, I’m willing to give Ms. Hoyt a pass, because based on some of her previous work, I have a feeling she’s saving these reveals for a future story of the series. And I must say that I’m very much looking forward to continuing. She’s introduced quite a number of intriguing supporting players throughout these first two novels who would make great heroes and heroines, so the series could potentially go on for quite some time. If it does, I can’t wait to learn more about them, especially Julian. The next one, No Ordinary Duchess, is due for release sometime late this year (2021). I don’t know yet which characters will star in it, but I’m very eager to find out.

Night of the Scoundrel by Kelly Bowen - Bonus novella. Review coming soon.

[Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was literally just ok. Took me 6 months to finish…