A lovely and determined woman discovers there is more to the lethal and cunning man she’s married than she thinks in When a Rogue Meets His Match. Strains of Beauty and the Beast flow through Messalina and Gideon’s story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Elizabeth Hoyt excels at creating captivating heroes who start out morally ambiguous at best and Gideon is a perfect example. The dark and brooding man fought his way out of the gutter and is obsessed with money and power. He’s been a fixer for Messalina’s evil uncle for years and he wants to be his own man, but the duke offers him something he can’t resist: Messalina’s hand in marriage. Messalina is beautiful, clever, and has captivated Gideon for years. She also hates him. But the two strike a bargain that promises Messalina freedom for herself and her sister – something she wants so desperately she’ll deal with the devil to get it.

Messalina is an open book and I liked that about her. She’s clever and kind but she also becomes aware how blind she has been her whole life to the lives of those less fortunate than her. Gideon, whose past will break your heart, opens her eyes to reality. Gideon is a hard man and he can be ruthless, but there’s a softness to him that not even he realizes exists. Gideon wants Messalina’s connections into society and he doesn’t hide his ambitions, but growing up as poor as he did makes it all make sense. Ms. Hoyt doesn’t mind shining a light on the hardships normally glossed over in historical romance (though the book doesn’t linger there) and I thought the reality woven into the fantasy made the book stronger. I loved peeling back the layers of Gideon’s character and found him incredibly compelling. The sexual tension between Gideon and Messalina is palpable from the start and I loved it. Their love story isn’t a smooth one but every obstacle in their path was worth overcoming. Their romance developed organically and was ultimately wonderfully satisfying.

When a Rogue Meets His Match is the second book in the Greycourt series and it’s much more focused than the first book, which I really liked. We truly meet the Greycourt family in this story and what a fractured, messy family they are. I’m looking forward to seeing what Ms. Hoyt has in store for Messalina’s sister and brothers. This book did leave me with some unanswered questions, but they’re mysteries I expect to be solved in future stories. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed When a Rogue Meets His Match. Gideon was a fascinating hero and Messalina his match in every way. Their romance was sensual, engaging, and kept me happily entertained for hours.

"When a Rogue Meets His Match" is the delightful story of Gideon, a knife fighter from St. Giles, and Messalina, a duke's granddaughter. It's a case of opposites attract, or perhaps discovering that no one is quite what they seem. Messalina is sold in marriage to Gideon by her grandfather in exchange for a job. But the fearsome Gideon surprises Messalina almost from the beginning, willing to listen to her opinions and enjoying matching wits with her. The banter between the two is delightful, even before they become allies, and watching them grow to love each other is a wonderful journey. Gideon and Messalina are wonderful, complex, and well-written characters and "When a Rogue Meets His Match" shows off Elizabeth Hoyt at her best! A must read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I can say I enjoyed this romance better than the previous book in this series. Gideon is a mysterious and dark man and Messalina is forced into a marriage with him. It’s implied Gideon has loved her from afar for years, but never really explored.

As with the first book in this series though, I’m left scratching my head at the end. There’s a mystery continuing through all the books, but it causes more confusion than anything else. What are Julian and Quinn up to? Why does the duke want Gideon to kill Julian? Who is the mysterious person Messalina notices in a store? The end of the book felt rushed and the romance may come to an HEA, but the rest left a lot to be desired. We never even discover why the duke wanted Gideon and Messalina to marry.

The first two books have left a lot of loose strings and future books need to start tying them together so the overall plot/mystery starts to make some sense. While you can read this book without having read the first, it’s only a stand-alone if you don’t care about the resolution of all the things left unanswered.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

I have been anxiously anticipating reading this book ever since I finished the first book in the series.

The enemies to lovers trope was very well written. I was so invested in this couple, I couldn't put the book down and finished it in two sittings. The romance and steaminess were perfect and just what I look for in a romance novel.

I think both the hero and heroine are likeable and interesting. I was really rooting for Gideon to make the right decision and earn his HEA. However, this isn’t just a reformed rogue full of pining and angst, there are some funny moments and witty dialogue that Elizabeth Hoyt does so well. I hope the supporting characters, like Messalina’s brothers and sister, get their own books in this series.

This was an entertaining open door romance with just the right amount of steam. 4.5/5

*** 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.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. When A Rogue Meets His Match by Elizabeth Hoyt is the second book in her Greycourt series. It can be read as a standalone. Gideon Hawthorne has worked his way up from St. Giles first as a knife fighter. As factotum to the Duke of Windermere, fulfilling his requests both legal and illegal and as a businessman who’s accumulated a small fortune through wise investments. When the Duke offers him the hand of his niece Messalina Greycourt in exchange for one last task, Gideon sees this as an opportunity to seek new investors in the ton, and he’s always been fascinated by her, the star he’d longed for but could never reach. Messalina agrees to marry Gideon because he offers her enough of her dowry to rescue her sister and escape the machinations of her nasty uncle. Unfortunately for Gideon, just as it seems he’s achieved even more than he ever dreamed possible, the final task for the Duke will cost him Messelina provided he survives long enough to complete it as it appears someone is trying to have him killed. Strong protagonists, well written supporting characters, nasty villains and lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing made this book one that I found delightful to read. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: December 1, 2020. #WhenARogueMeetsHisMatch #ElizabethHoyt #HistoricalRomance #ForeverGrandCentral #GrandCentralPublishing #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

I love Elizabeth Hoyt. She writes some of my favorite historical romances and this is one of them! I loved this book.

This is the second book in the Greycourt series although it can be read as a stand alone. This book is about Messalina Greycout(a truly awful name btw) and Gideon Hawthorne. Gideon has been working for Messalina's uncle, the Duke of Windemere, since he was 17. And he isn't doing honest work.. he is doing all of the Duke's dirty work. Gideon longs to be accepted by society so they can help fund his side business. He makes a deal with the duke.. Gideon can marry Messalina as long as he does one more dirty tase for the duke.

Messalina is appalled. She doesn't want to marry her uncle's henchman. But she goes along with it to save her sister. Messalina agrees to help Gideon fit in to society in exchange for part of her dowery. I liked Messaline for the most part. I think she made the best of a terrifying situation. She was very positive and I think that was good for Gideon's darker personality. I think it's no surprise that I loved Gideon. I love a dark hero. I loved that we got Gideon's thoughts. He was so conflicted about Messalina and I liked that we got to hear his inner battle.

I also want to point out that this book was steeeeeamy! And I am all for that. Seriously I don't remember the first book being as steamy. It made me love Gideon even more.

There was only one thing I didn't like about the book. All Messalina wants from Gideon is the truth. She begs the whole books for it.. and when he finally gives it to her she runs away. She doesn't hear him out. I didn't like that Gideon was punished for giving her what she wanted. Everything else I loved though. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

Elizabeth Hoyt has always been a go to author for me. I have been a fan for years. I’m having a hard time integrating myself into the Greycourt world. I can’t pinpoint why.

In this installment Messalina ( what is it with this name?) is kidnapped by Gideon Hawthorne her uncle’s fixer and forced to marry him. We understand from inner monologue that Gideon has been infatuated with her from his first encounter. She has always despised him. So we have a dual enemies to lovers and forced marriage trope underpinned with a side drama of Gideon being forced to murder her brother to get out from under the power of her nefarious uncle.

There are moments of Hoyt’s brilliance as a writer. But this book just falls a bit flat and unrealistic for me.

4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars

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 super steamy 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!!

I enjoyed this book. The book opens mid-kidnapping. Messalina has been taken by her uncle's henchman. Gideon grew up on the streets of London and had to fight for survival until he met the Duke of Windemere. Since that point, he has taken care of all kinds of unsavory things for the Duke, including kidnapping his niece and surprising her with a wedding. The Duke promised Messalina to Gideon under a secret agreement that he carry out one final task.

The beginning was a bit problematic for me. Gideon was truly cold (as was the Duke) and the forced wedding was a bit too much for me. That being said, Hoyt takes Gideon from a character that you truly despise to one you begin to understand and that is a truly flawed character with growth. By the end, I liked Gideon so much more as he changed through his relationship with Messalina. I definitely loved her sister, Lucretia. She was funny and the sisterly bond was a nice addition to the book. I liked the conversations between Gideon and Messalina and how they came to get to know one another better and that he opened up new ideas for her as well.

Overall, I would say this was a good book and definitely has me wanting to read more from Hoyt. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I passed on the first book in this series, mainly because I have learned to spot a plot that might not be my cup of tea. So when I saw this book, I wondered if I'd be able to fully appreciate it, since I was jumping in to a new series midway through. Thankfully, Elizabeth Hoyt is a master at storytelling, and I was able to fall in love with the story and characters regardless of my familiarity with them. One thing I love about her books is that she always intertwines a fairy tale, where part is told at the start of each new chapter, and I am always tickled at how appropriate it is for the actual story told in the book. When a Rogue Meets His Match has a Beauty and the Beast quality to it, as does the small fairytale, and as that is my "catnip" trope, I was in heaven while reading.

Messalina Greycourt is not happy to have been virtually kidnapped by her uncle's employee, Gideon Hawthorne, and her displeasure only grows when she learns that he is soon to be her husband. Handsome as sin and just as wicked, he is the last man she would consider as husband material. However, with her sister's future threatened, she is given little choice. Soon they are conducting a farce of a marriage, but Messalina does manage to extract some promises from Gideon: her sister can live with her, she will be allowed to have a dog, and consummation will not happen for at least one month, and once it does, she will retain 1/10th of her dowry. In exchange, she will act as his doting wife in public and help him move about in society. Gideon has admired Messalina from afar for the last ten years, ever since he entered her uncle's employ. It seems a simple choice to accept her uncle's offer to wed her. However, the price for such a reward may cause him to lose her forever.

Messalina was a really fun heroine, full of sass and confidence, even in the face of terrible circumstances. She knew Gideon was a dangerous man, but she also recognized that there was something underneath his hard exterior that was worth exploring. Gideon showed signs of gentling pretty early on in the book, when he sought to make Messalina feel more at ease, even as her uncle backed her into a corner. I warmed up to him quickly as the book progressed, and I could see Messalina doing so as well, each time she peeled back another layer in his personality. He had a harsh beginning, so when they moved into his home and saw how he was living, it was really enlightening. I loved how the reader was able to see his generosity and soft-heartedness, while at the same time we could see how life had changed him. He could have become a monster quite easily, but instead he really tried to do good for others. The price for Messalina's hand was difficult to wrap my head around, and it surprised me how Gideon was able to separate the impending doom from his evolving relationship with his wife. It was an interesting story, to say the very least, and I finished it in a day quite easily.

I will definitely be continuing to read more in this series! Elizabeth Hoyt never fails to delight.

When the hero is from the wrong side of the tracks it is catnip to me. Gideon is a man of few words and a man who is troubled over his brother’s death. Yes, Gideon is my man. He is all about getting what he wants and thinks he deserves but when he is forced to marry Messalina for another “favor” he learns, slowly, that his feelings for her far outweigh his need to destroy. Messalina is a fantastic character. She is betrayed but still she preservers. A fantastic love story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Loved it!

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 is 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.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When a Rogue Meets His Match is a slight improvement over the first installment. I generally found the romance more satisfying, and while other aspects still left something to be desired, I feel this book worked a bit better for me overall. However, I do feel, even with the first book’s weaknesses, it is necessary to read that one to understand some of the over-arching plot points of this one.

The hero and heroine are the standouts, and in this aspect at least, it feels like it’s a return to form. Messalina has strength and confidence that feels reminiscent of Hoyt’s previous heroines, and assassin and self-made man Gideon has both an air of danger and a softer side beneath the broody facade that endeared me to many other Hoyt heroes. And while there are some Hoyt books (*coughDukeofMidnightcough*) with some glaringly obvious and disturbing power imbalances, I liked that these two came to each other on even footing and can give back as good as they get, making their interactions all the more satisfying as they become accustomed to one another and things move from a marriage of convenience to mutual love.

However, as I noted, it is not a stand-alone, and in carrying on plot threads from the previous book, things do get a bit lost along the way. I was intrigued with the plotting between the Duke of Windermere and Gideon, and the counter-plotting of the Duke’s nephew and Messalina’s brother Julian, but it all started to feel a bit overwhelming, and some of these external plot threads remained hanging yet again.

Even with its shortcomings, this is still a decent effort from Elizabeth Hoyt. If you love historical romance with a dash of danger and intrigue, as well as strong heroes and heroines, I think you’ll like this one.

Elizabeth Hoyt never disappoints and When Rogue Meets his Match is no exception. I dark and broody hero, a smart, independent heroine, all the things this author excels out. This book had me from the beginning and kept me entertained the whole time. Cant wait for more in this series!

3.5 stars

Born and raised in St. Giles, Gideon Hawthorne has spent his life climbing out of the streets and into a better life. He’s ruthless and resourceful and has used his skills in the employment of the Duke of Windemere for the last ten years, taking care of risky problems without hesitation. But the duke is depraved, and Gideon is weary of the tasks he’s forced to complete. He’s eager to leave the duke’s employ and work on his own business ventures, but the duke wants Gideon to do one last thing for him, an undisclosed task. When the duke offers the reward, marriage to his niece, Messalina Greycourt, Gideon cannot refuse the chance to be with the lady he has always desired.

Messalina Greycourt has had many suitors, but none that appealed enough to pursue. She’s furious when her uncle drags her to his London home to force her immediate marriage to his lackey, but she’s pleasantly surprised to find that she can treat with Gideon. He’ll leave her alone until she welcomes his attentions, as well as give her a portion of her dowry money, if she agrees to act the complacent wife and help him establish connections with investors amongst the aristocracy. Messalina is sure she’d never welcome Gideon, so she’s happy to agree. After all, she plans to leave him as soon as she has her money anyway so she and her sister can flee the country and finally escape the duke. But as she comes to know Gideon, Messalina finds herself contemplating a real future with him and struggling to maintain her distance.

This book left me with so many conflicting feelings. Gideon is quite possibly the best antihero I’ve ever read, although I must say Messalina’s frequent and persistent descriptions of him as demonic and evil did throw off the romance a bit. Messalina frustrated me with her tendency toward snap judgments and her refusal to listen to Gideon, especially when he was finally willing to open up to her. At that point, I felt he was giving literally everything he had, and she wouldn’t even meet him halfway. At times Messalina’s behavior was very overly dramatic and that was a bit annoying. I really enjoyed the overall storyline with the bad boy, wrong side of the tracks hero and the arranged marriage/forced proximity. Gideon showed tremendous growth and character development and opened Messalina’s eyes to her own sheltered naivete. That growth dynamic in their relationship ultimately made these two work for me as a couple, though I did find the pace to be a little slow in places. I adored the depths Gideon had and his revelations of his pain to Messalina were heart wrenching. I only wish she’d been there to meet him when he was ready to finally open up and learn to love, but thankfully it didn’t take her long to figure things out and get herself straight. I was very intrigued by Julian and Quintus as characters, especially when they finally started working with Gideon instead of against him. I think those two have great potential as heroes of their own books. The sister, Lucretia was mostly a very annoying and distracting character for me, and her meddling and selfish attitude was irritating. She mostly just popped up in scenes to eat all the food and cause problems but at least she did help Messalina come to the right decision in the end, even if this did seem a bit out of character for Lucretia. I enjoyed the action and the plot twist at the end, but it did feel rather too abrupt and I would’ve liked a slightly longer reconciliation between Messalina and Gideon with more apology and emotion from Messalina, as it still left me feeling like Gideon wound up giving much more of himself than she did. I also wanted more info on the dispensation of the villain, but maybe that’s forthcoming in another book along with the duke’s comeuppance. There were some intriguing side characters presented here and I look forward to continuing the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't know if you have read anything by Elizabeth Hoyt, but I go 'all fan girl' when I see her name on the cover. She is truly amazing and this story is just as good.
The hero is a man, from the slums, who does dirty work for the orphaned heroine's corrupt uncle. Okay, that is so convoluted and it gets even better!!
The hero is a poor orphan taken out of the fighting circles and hired to do the dirty work of a corrupt duke. That same year, the duke get's guardianship of his brother's children. This duke is very powerful and does very bad things. The heroine has stayed with her uncle to protect her younger sister. They are treated as chattel and the heroine has been given to the hero as payment or, maybe a bribe. Either way, the hero is only 2 years older than the heroine and he has had feelings for her since they met, 1o years prior. But, what the uncle and heroine do not realize is that the hero has been building an empire of his own and he is a very wealthy person. He runs a group of orphans, now grown men, that he had collected over the years. The heroine marries him only so she can get her hands on her dowery and run away to the 'Colonies' with her sister to get away from the uncle. Oh, and the hero has to do one more job for her uncle, but I won't give any spoilers.
Can't you tell how awesome Ms. Hoyt is? She is a phenomenal story teller, unlike any other. She writes a main story, but keeps at least three other stories intertwined. I read her books and she had one story line that wrapped through 4 books before they had a book of their own written about them!!!. She is so successful at leading the reader into her world. I read this book in 3 hours without stopping once. I was riveted to the pages.
Can I give this book 100 stars out of 5 stars?
I highly recommend that this book be purchased for your keeper shelf. Well, if you like her style of writing like I do!

When a rogue meets his match is the story of Gideon and Mesalina and it has that classic “we are in an arranged marriage but are developing real feelings for each other trope”. Actually, that is not totally accurate because from beginning of the book, it’s obvious Gideon has always had real feelings for her. The things I really enjoyed were Mesalina and Lucretia (her sister’s) relationship. They were so close and Lucretia was really hilarious, I am looking forward to reading her story. The main couple here were fine but lacking something. I don’t know if it was chemistry or if I was just dissatisfied with some of their character flaws, either way I was not emotionally invested in the couple.

I do look forward to reading more in the series especially Lucretia’s and Julian’s.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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.

Elizabeth Hoyt never disappoints! My only complaint about the book was that it seemed a bit short and a bit hurried at the end.