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*

A classically wonderful, big drama, high-stakes historical romance. I read this in one day and was completely absorbed. I’m a sucker for a hero who rises from the streets of London and has the literal battle scars to prove it. *fans self*

Gideon Hawthorne is all but done working for the Duke of Windemere as his fixer. Until the duke makes him an offer he can’t turn down. One last job and he can have HER. Marry HER. The very woman who has captivated Gideon since he met her, the duke’s niece, Messalina Greycourt.

Ohh, what could possibly go wrong (perfectly right!) here?

If you love big drama and big romance feelings, you definitely want to read this one. Elizabeth Hoyt does this soooooo gloriously.

Oh. Also. This book has a section that caught me off guard and had me sobbing. I should have expected it because the breadcrumbs were perfectly laid but somehow my brain didn’t latch on and oooooof. Tears. In no way does this book shy away from the tragic conditions and forced choices of London’s poor.

Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.  I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When the Greycourt children lost their parents years ago, they were left in the care of their horrid uncle, Augustus Greycourt, Duke of Windermere, who himself is childless. Messalina Greycourt plans for the day when she and her younger sister can escape and live out from under her uncle’s control; however, Augustus has other plans and marries her off to his henchman, Mr. Gideon Hawthorne. 

Gideon Windermere has done unlawful and brutal things for the Duke. He wants to leave his employ but it’s been near impossible. The Duke will let him go and is giving him his niece and her sizable dowry in exchange for one last job. 

When a Rogue Meets His Match is the second story in the Greycourt series. I read and throughly enjoyed the first title, Not the Duke’s Darling, two years ago. While I was entertained by When a Rogue Meets His Match, it was missing some of the aspects I most enjoyed in the first book, such as the Wise Women society. 

Gideon is truly an anti-hero. He’s rude, crude, and unlawful. He’s agreed to and IS PLANNING ON committing a horrible act, hiding it from Messalina. He’s trapped her against her will. Yet, Messalina sees something that most do not, a kind and caring side of Gideon. Messalina plans to escape Gideon as soon as she gets her money, but starts having second thoughts immediately after they marry. She’s very confused by her feelings for most of the book.

Ms. Hoyt rides the line between a forced marriage and reluctant romance. Hawthore wants Messalina, but sees her as a prize and victory against the upper echelon. Strong-willed Messalina sees the good in Gideon and feels all sorts of tingling things when they are together. She’s a stereotypical heroine who falls for the bad boy. Their romance is filled with starts and stops, as each carries big secrets and personal dreams they do not share with the other. When a Rogue Meets His Match relies heavily on predictable plot lines, yet there is a surprising twist near the conclusion.

When a Rogue Meets His Match ends rather abruptly, with a quick conclusion. The book includes the bonus novella, “Night of the Scoundrel” by Kelly Bowen, which began at the 70% mark in my e-ARC. I did not read the extra story.

Overall, I enjoyed When a Rogue Meets His Match, but felt it was a bit predictable and the ending came too swiftly. 

My Rating: B- Liked It — But I had a few small issues

Elizabeth is one of my go-to authors.  I love her books.  She never disappoints her readers.  Messalina and Gideon are wonderful characters.  She dislikes Gideon immensely because he is her vile uncle's henchman.  Gideon has his own motives for and ambitions where Messalina is concerned.  When she is forced to marry him she vows to make him as miserable as she is.  Can she keep her vow to resist him or will he wear her down and prove that he can be trusted to keep her safe and happy.

This is another wonderful story that Elizabeth is known for.  I could not put it down.  Do not miss this one.

A disreputable gentleman. An unwilling heiress. A match made in heaven? 

When we meet Gideon Hawthorne for the first time in When a Rogue Meets his Match, the second Greycourt novel by Elizabeth Hoyt, he is a man who is full of mysteries. He is the man the Duke of Windemere turns to to fix any problem the Duke believes he has. What Gideon wants most in his life is to change his circumstances and he does that by agreeing to an unknown task in exchange for Messalina Greycourt’s hand in marriage.  

Messalina on the other hand detests Gideon because he works for her horrible uncle. Since her parents’ deaths, she and her siblings have been under the thumb of her uncle, the Duke of Windemere, a man without a conscience. By agreeing to the marriage to Gideon, and having him promise that he will give her half her dowry so she can leave England, Messalina is thrust into a world she is unfamiliar with and will make her question her upbringing and how she sees the world. 

Both Gideon and Messalina will need to learn to trust the other and their hearts to find and understand the truth. Is Messalina only a spoiled society lady? Is the best that Gideon can be an employee with a secret? They will face obstacles that will test the truth of who they have become. Will they open their heart to the other person?   

Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. This story and the twists and turns the story creates and solves also poses many other questions about the Greycourt family. I hope in the following books, the answers to my questions will be solved. I can’t wait to read more about the Greycourt family.

Happy belated pub day to WHEN A ROGUE MEETS HIS MATCH! You may have seen through my Goodreads updates that I'm just sprinting through romance novels lately. They've been an escape from a world that too often lacks a happy ending.

That's why I was so thrilled when Forever Publishing sent me some comp copies of Elizabeth Hoyt's Greycourt series for review. I loved the first in the series, NOT THE DUKE'S DARLING - it set up a family I cared about, with light, witty writing and a convincingly steamy romance. But the second in the series - WHEN A ROGUE MEETS HIS MATCH - became one of my favorite romances this year.

ROGUE focuses on Messalina Greycourt, whose spunk and charm we learn a little bit about in the first series. Her cruel and domineering uncle demands she marries one of his "lackeys" - Gideon Hawthorne. Dark, handsome, and ambitious, he's worked for her uncle for years and held a flame for Messalina. Although Gideon is ready to leave his service to go out on his own,  when Messalina's uncle offers him the chance to marry her, he leaps at it - even though it means doing one last mystery task.

Initially I was taken aback by the forced marriage plot - but as Gideon uses it as an opportunity to woo Messalina, gives her freedom to be herself for the first time, and honors her choices, I was very pleasantly surprised. Gideon is one of the most romantic, compelling rogues I've read about in romance - his upbringing was realistic, well-drawn and sympathetic. The dialogue was witty, fast-paced and yet warm. I loved how fierce and loyal Gideon was, and how Messalina met him as an equal, not a coerced woman. They grew together and by the end, I was rooting for them to live happily ever after.

I can't wait to read the next Greycourt book (which revolves around Caro!) and Gideon will be living in my head rent-free for a while. 😉 I'm now a big fan of Elizabeth Hoyt - and would recommend this series for fans of Mary Balogh, Tessa Dare and Amanda Quinn.

After a lengthy--for the romance genre--break following the first in the Greycourt series, Elizabeth Hoyt returns with When a Rogue Meets His Match. I'm not sure why this series is received less favorably than the Maiden Lane series, but to me the hallmarks of her historical romances are still there.  Her writing still pulls the emotions out of me and her plots are complex and action-packed.

If you're familiar with Hoyt's books, you know she starts every chapter with a piece of a story, usually a fairytale. When a Rogue Meets His Match doesn't hide the Beauty and the Beast theme at all.  In this case the opening story if that of a fox (the beast) and Bette (beauty). Like in BatB, Gideon is a grumpy, menacing figure who forces Messalina into marriage. Rather, her uncle does that, but Gideon has loved her for all the years he's worked for the horrid uncle and therefore takes the deal offered to him. Do this one job for the uncle and he can marry Messalina. Gideon is low born and has done the duke's dirty work for years, so being married to a duke's niece is a Big Deal. Plus the heart feelings, which he's slow to acknowledge. Messalina is angry and plans to fulfill a bargain with Gideon, get part of her dowry and run away with her younger sister (whom the duke is using as a way to force Messalina to marry).

Obviously, they fall for each other even if Messalina is unhappy with her developing feelings. The conflict of the book hinges upon two things: the forced marriage and the job Gideon has to complete before he can get Messalina's dowry and they can both get away from the duke. Turns out, the duke wants Gideon to do something Messalina would never forgive him for.

This was my biggest problem with the plot, though I'll try not to spoil it. Gideon could have told her at any point and they could have worked together to foil the duke's plans. He decides by the midpoint of the story that he's not going to do The Bad Thing, but it's not until the very end that he works with someone else to get out of it. Messalina forgives a lot, even if she stands her ground and makes the best out of many situations. Still, this is a BatB retelling and therefore she's strong and resourceful but still subject to the whims of men.

As usual with historical romance, there are some problematic bits (see CWs) and I don't recall any characters who aren't white. A large part of Messalina's character arc is her moral awakening as she comes to know all the formerly impoverished people Gideon employs. She eventually decides she wants to start a school for boys to help give them hope for a future. (Girls can go live in an alley I guess?) However, the book is set in 1760 and there's no mention of slavery despite the focus on poverty and inadequate wages. Gideon repeatedly points out that the clothing and items Messalina says are necessary for his entrance into society could feed a family for years, but there's no discussion of the humans who are not only impoverished but stripped of any freedom at all. Gideon was able to claw his way out of poverty, but that opportunity existed for him because he was a free, white, abled man. That said, historical romance usually glosses over all of this and I assume the reason the omission was so glaring here is because of the focus on class oppression.

That said, I enjoyed When a Rogue Meets His Match. Despite being able to point to several problems, I like Hoyt's writing and will continue to read her books. I'm a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast story and tend to hand-wave a lot of things for my "problematic faves," so there's that.

If you like Hoyt's books, I suggest picking this up.

***
I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher for review but read an audio copy from my library instead.
***

Content notes: Three men will probably get books of their own and I'm not sure how their stories will be handled. One lost his hand in an accident years before and appears to have self-loathing and dysphoria either because of the loss or because of the death of the woman he was with at the time. He's closed himself off to everyone and everything since. Another is a self-destructive alcoholic. The third is described as having a ruinous secret that's tied to the open wounds on his back. This suggests that he's engaging in BDSM play, but it doesn't seem to be fun for him, instead tied to past trauma and abuse.


Blackmail, forced marriage, assault, near-death, mentions of past death including hanging of a child, grief, gender essentialism, discussion of poverty including starvation

Wow, I really enjoyed this book by Elizabeth Hoyt. The characters and storyline told an intense story of Gideon Hawthorne who had to fight to get where he was in life. He made a deal with a Duke to do something he did not know what he was agreeing to do. On one condition, he would do what the Duke wanted. That was to marry the Duke's niece Messalina.

As I was reading, When a Rogue Meets His Match,by Elizabeth Hoyt. I could not put the book down. From the beginning of the book to the end of the book it had my attention. The story of Gideon Hawthorne and Messalina Greycourt was an excellent Story of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

I received a ARC from Netgalley to give a honest review. I recommend this book.

Gideon has worked as a fixer for the Duke of Windemere for the last 10 years. He wants to leave his employment, but the duke asks him to do one more thing. In  exchange, Gideon will get one of thee things he wants most in the word....the duke's niece as a bride. Now he just needs to convince to to marry him.

Messalina dreads the meeting with her uncle as she knows it can't mean anything good for her. She soon learns that she is to marry Gideon, a man that she can not abide. He makes a deal with her, in exchange for her acting like she is happy with the marriage, he will not consummate the marriage until she asks for his touch. She reluctantly agrees to the marriage.

While Gideon struggles with the last task he is required to do for the duke, Messalina struggles with her growing attraction for her husband. Can they turn this into a love match?

I adored Gideon and Messalina's story! He has lusted after her from afar for years, so when the chance to have her comes up, he jumps at it. I loved watching Messalina learn who Gideon really was as opposed to just being the man that did all her uncle's dirty work. This is a great addition to the Greycourt series and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Right away, I enjoyed that the story plopped you into the action without a lot of preamble and it had so many great elements - marriage of convenience, some suspense and mystery and an examination of class differences. Instantly you could feel the tension between Gideon and Messalina and I was eagerly awaiting seeing how their relationship would develop over the course of the book.

Given that this is the second in the series, I felt a few times like I was missing some details of the backstory, particularly with Aurelia's death, but overall I was able to follow what was happening. My main detraction was that at the end it felt like there was a lot going on in a short number of pages, leaving it a bit rushed. This book started so so strong but sort of fizzled; overall it was still an enjoyable read and I would read more by this author!

3.5/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

DNF- I wanted to love this one but unfortunately I could not finish. This series is just not for me. I don't really connect with the characters, or the storyline. 

Love Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series, but I just cannot get into the ancient Wise Women society- it does not captive my interest and I do not have enough read of the book to give a proper review.

When a Rogue Meets His Match (Greycourt #2). By Elizabeth Hoyt. 2020. Forever (ARC eBook).

After a decade of to the vile Duke of Windemere, Gideon Hawthorne, the duke’s fixer, is ready to quit the duke’s service. But Windemere has one last task for Gideon. He therefore asks for payment, the hand of Windemere’s niece, Messalina Greycourt.

Messalina has always held her uncle’s henchman in contempt. He’s a heartless ruffian. But when Gideon promises her part of her dowry if she sees the marriage through, she finally sees a way out of Windemere’s clutches. Away from Windemere, she begins to come to understand calloused Gideon, but will her heart be safe in his care?

Gideon and Messalina, as well as all of the secondary characters were engaging and had unique voices. I loved little Sam and Dasiy and as always I look forward to the fairy tale unfolding at the beginning of each chapter. This time, Bet and the Fox. Give Hoyt’s When a Rogue Meets His Match a read for a captivating, enemies-to-lovers romance.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Messalina Greycourt knows that she is definitely a catch, and could have a pick of husband wherever she looks, but being under the thumb of her wicked uncle, the Duke of Windemere, who will do anything he can for his own good, leads to a forced marriage to his own fixer, Gideon Hawthorne. Gideon pulled himself up from the gutter of St Giles, and has done all manner of jobs for Windemere in his time, but being offered Messalina in exchange for an unspecified job may just be too much. He's always wanted to be self sufficient and away from Windemere, and is finally in the position where he may just be able to do so, but being married to Messalina, who he's always wanted, would give him a footing in society he could never have wished for. However, Windemere's wicked plan is more heinous than anyone could have expected, and as much as Messalina and Gideon are adamant their marriage will be in name only, they may just find themselves facing it all together.

I utterly adored Not the Duke's Darling, so when review copies became available for book 2, I jumped at the chance. With Messalina being neigh on kidnapped by Gideon in the last pages of book 1, I couldn't wait to discover how their story panned out. Ever since her parents died, and her eldest sister, Aurelia, Messalina has had to protect herself from her uncle's wicked plans. Playing the doting guardian in public, Windemere has always made it clear that all of the Greycourt children are in his way, and he only cares about what they can do for him, not about what he can do for them. When he learns about Gideon's wish to leave, he dangles Messalina in front of him, in exchange for Gideon removing Julian Greycourt for his way - permanently. For Messalina, only knowing Gideon as Windemere's lapdog and fixer, she would do just about anything to avoid marrying him, but not if that means younger sister Lucretia will be forced to instead. So, she proposes an agreement with Gideon - in exchange for her dowry, she will be a true wife after a month, and no earlier. Gideon agrees, and promises not to touch her unless she asks for it, but she knows she never will, and now thinks she has a month to plan her escape. But the longer the couple spend together, trying to discover more about one another, and aid Gideon in his plans to find aristocratic backers for his mining ventures, their marriage becomes less of a sham, and more of a reality. But the looming threat of Windemere is always over head, and the arrival of the remaining Greycourt siblings means the couple need to seriously consider their relationship.

I really loved both of the main characters, and thought their development from indifference to love was perfect. Gideon has pined for Messalina from afar for quite some time, and as much as he tries to hide it in this book, it's plainly obvious that he adores her, and would do anything for her. Messalina is a harder nut to crack, but once she learns about Gideon's origins, and the way he truly cares for his staff, she's melting inside, and thinks less about leaving, and more about making Whispers a true home for them, and their children in the future. Their relationship was full of heat, and passion, and it was a joy to read about. I did feel as if the ending and climax of the plot line surrounding Windemere, Gideon and Julian, was a little rushed, but all in all, a fantastic addition to the series, and I'm looking forward to No Ordinary Duchess.

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.

Elizabeth Hoyt has done it again! I loved this book even more than the first instalment in the series.

This was dark, passionate and full of mischief, secrets, badass women and adorable puppies. This had everything you could want in a book.

I loved the development of Messalina and Gideon’s relationship. It started off as an enemies to lovers situation and I absolutely adored the ride. Messalina’s character is one of my new favourites. She doesn’t take anyone’s bullshit, she knows what she wants and she strives for it but ultimately, family and love are her priorities. Her bond with her sister was everything! I loved that we got to see so much of Lucretia. Her love for sweets is one I can deeply relate to.

Gideon’s character was so intriguing. I really enjoyed how we slowly got to see his layers, it was almost like a flower unfurling, one petal, one secret at a time. His backstory was so tragic and really pulled at my heartstrings. Quite a few scenes with him and Messalina had me in tears.

Their fire and passion for each other was also the absolute best. It felt so realistic and I really came to love them as a couple.

I honestly have fallen in love with Hoyt’s writing! I will be eagerly awaiting the third book!! So many characters in this series that I want an entire novel about.

4/5⭐️

TW: death, attempted murder, murder, gun violence, assault, blood, sexually explicit scenes, hanging, death of a child.

I have read a few books by Elizabeth Hoyt but I think this is my least favourite. It isn't bad of anything. It is actually good.  I just had a bit of a hard time getting into this story a bit.

After not loving the first book in the Greycourt series, I’m back in the Elizabeth Hoyt game!

The first chapter intrigued me and Gideon was such a wonderful and sexy mystery to unravel. He’s one of my very favorite Hoyt heros. After our heroine, Messalinda is tricked into marrying him by her evil uncle. Their love affair is very volatile and ultimately one of my favorites in quite a while. I love the dark, brooding heros who turn into the man of any woman’s dream and Gideon is exactly that. 

If you’ve not read book one, you can get away with reading this as a stand-alone although it’s better if you read book one despite the fact it’s a little boring. 

Definitely recommend this one!

Unbelievably this was my first Elizabeth Hoyt book and I loved it. So much mystery and action made it hard to put down as I neared the end of the book. I looking forward to the other books in this series.

Gideon Hawthorne has been the Duke of Windmere's fixer for the last ten years. He was finally ready to walk away from this dangerous work when the Duke offers him Messalina Greycourt's hand in marriage and one last task. So he takes the chance to have this woman he has always desired.

When Messalina's uncle forces her into marriage with Mr. Hawthorne leaving her shocked. But before she can run away Gideon strikes a bargain with her. Keep up appearances, play wife and he will not touch her until she asks for it. Confident she'll never need anything from him, she agrees.

Thanks so much to the author, Forever, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Hoyt. And while the first book in this series didn't wow me the way her offerings usually do, this one was a definite improvement.

It features Messalina Greycourt, niece to an unscrupulous duke, and Gideon, the duke's henchman. This is an enemies to lovers story... Messalina is forced into the marriage, under threat from her uncle. Gideon is all too happy with the arrangement though. He was determined to break away from his boss, his intention to focus on legitimate business, but when the duke offers him anything to do one last job, Messalina is a prize too big to pass up.

Of course, Messalina isn't down with the arrangement, but with her sister's future under threat, she has few choices. She agrees to be wed, with plans in her back pocket to escape with her dowry money and get her sister out of the country. She never intends to see Gideon as anything more than a heartless knife for hire. She certainly doesn't expect to fall in love with him. But that's exactly what happens.

One of my favorite tropes is the tortured hero in love with a woman above his station. And no matter how little Messalina thinks of him at the beginning, Gideon doesn't think much differently about himself. He had a terrible childhood and got himself off the streets by force of his own will. He is ruthless because he has to be. But he falls hard for his wife and all those layers of armor come crashing down as he tries to make her happy.

Oh yeah, and that last job for the duke? To kill Messalina's brother. Not good for a fledgling romance.

I adored Gideon and his poor battered heart. I liked Messalina too, except for the stupid black moment where she demands the truth from Gideon and he gives it to her... only for her to punish him for it. It made me like her less--and felt somewhat discordant to have him tell her the truth only for her disbelieve only part of what he said.

My only other quibble was with the overarching series arc about the death of Messalina's sister. Like I said, I had issues with book 1 and I really couldn't remember what had been revealed about all that. And the recap inside this book wasn't enough for me to follow solidly. I had to go back and read some reviews to remember what had happened. And still, that storyline wasn't advanced at all, so I am not sure what it was doing here. In fact a lot of stuff from book one was scaled back --and it was a better romance for it-- but I assume at least the mysterious sister death will come back in book 3.

Overall, though, this was a solid romance with good pacing, great writing, and a hero right in my lane.

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

When A Rogue Meets His Match, by Elizabeth Hoyt is available at booksellers on 12-1-2020.  This is book 2 in Ms Hoyt's The Greycourt series.  The 2 main characters are perfect for each other despite being from totally different backgrounds.  It's a reverse trope, lowborn guy loves high born girl.  It works, it's difficult for them but love always finds a way.  It's a forced marriage but the male leader has loved this lady from the moment he first saw her.  I found book 2 to be as well written and entertaining as the first.  I have high hopes for the third.

#ElizabethHoyt  #WhenARogueMeetsHisMatch  #TheGraycourtseries  #Netgalley  #Forever  #Romance  #historicalromance