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.

I received a copy of When A Rogue Meets His Match through NetGalley for an honest review.

Messalina is amazing. She's a top contender for heroines I've read in 2020. Independent, intelligent, self-assured, and introspective. Several scenes made me cheer out loud at her ingenuity. Even stopping long enough to chat about it with my husband.

Gideon Hawthorne was a great counter to her struggles. Both caged into a marriage but willing to work towards a better future. Born in St. Giles, Gideon grew up with everything Messalina didn't have. Yet they both could empathize at what the other went through.

I don't want to give away spoilers since I think everyone should read the book. That means the review will point at times but not the situations.

In my podcast episode, I read several scenes aloud. One of my favorite was when Messalina had enough and flatly told the men to stop treating her as a dog bone. And her relationship with other women wasn't dependent on men. While some conversations concerned Gideon and her brothers, the bulk was about solidarity. Can't go wrong with a support network. One of the best reoccurring scenes for Messalina includes examining how class structures can make or break a person's mobility. Something you don't always find in historical romances.

And the romance between Gideon and Messalina works. It's solid. Moves at an organic pace and offers insight into each other. You feel the heartbreak and love, the pain and struggle as they adapt to each other's expectations. They also work as a team, a very important part of a forced marriage romance, I think.

I would love to talk about the bonus story by Kelly Bowen, but honestly, I'd like to review it separately because it felt like a standalone. I do appreciate where the overlaps seemed to connect between the two worlds, however. Night of the Scoundrel will be it's own episode for the podcast for that reason. The heroine and hero have so much to build together and to learn how to move beyond unforgivable hurts.

Highly, highly recommend the book. Beauty is not in just the words, but the actions of Messalina and Gideon together.

I really enjoyed this story! I wasn't sure at first because it's rather longer than I expected for a romance, but I ended up loving the slow build. It felt necessary to Gideon and Messalina being able to trust one another and come to care for one another.

The characters were wonderful - so many very unique ones who really came alive. Lucretia, Sam, Gideon, Messalina, Hicks, all of them really.

There were a lot of allusions to the mysterious tragedy where her older sister disappeared/died? that didn't make much sense to me. Perhaps if I'd read the first book before tackling this one. Everything else was explained/wrapped up neatly.

I would love to see a novel with Lucretia as the main character! She's so feisty and determined, she practically begs to be the focus of a novel. I would definitely read that one. And I'd love to see more of her older brothers. There's a lot of potential there.

The only thing I didn't like about this novel is the sex scenes. They were... awkward and weird to read. If they'd been omitted, it would have been a perfect book for me (though I'm sure plenty of other people would complain if they had been).

Within the first chapter of When a Rogue Meets His Match I knew Elizabeth Hoyt had my number.

A lean, fighting machine of a hero who’s frequently described as having glittering black eyes & who is a so-called bully man for a Duke; said hero can’t help but watch & appreciate our heroine Messalina & want her even though she loathes him...I didn’t stand a chance, okay?

Gideon Hawthorne uses violence to do the Duke of Windmere’s dirty work & to collect debts. Raised in St. Giles he’s since made a fortune & plans on using Messalina to help win over aristocratic investors in his business ventures. It only helps that he’s long wanted her, the Duke’s niece.

Messalina has always believed the worst of her Gideon. It doesn’t help matters when her uncle threatens her into marrying him. But she begins to see Gideon in a new light now & again, which confuses her & makes her question her decision to leave him after securing enough funds to provide for herself & her sister.

In case I didn’t make it clear, this hero really does things for me. From his physical description to his mannerisms to his big feelings for Messalina which he doesn’t immediately recognize as love. Of course you love her, you adorable deadly fool.

But the “mysterious task” the Duke has given him in exchange for “giving”Messalina to him in marriage & Gideon’s own so-called manipulative nature could ruin everything.

I love how Hoyt explores class differences w/ a working-class hero trying to force his way into an unreceptive aristocratic class & how Messalina tries to help him. How he and their marriage make her realize things about life for those in each class. How she & their marriage make him realize how to show & express love.

Like in the other Hoyt books I’ve read, the characters (esp the males) are often gray & willing to contemplate stepping over the line into black. There’s quite a lot of violence in this book.

But the violent antihero with a secret mushy heart really worked for me 🤣.



[cw: memories of a child who was hanged for theft.]

4.5 ⭐️. When a Rogue Meets His Match is out on 12/01. Thanks to Forever Pub, Grand Central Pub, & Netgalley for the complimentary copies of this book. All opinions provided are my own.

Elizabeth Hoyt gifts us with another historical romance to delight her readers. For the most part I like her stories I just would prefer a little less violence.

A big thank you to Forever, NetGalley and Ms. Hoyt for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required, and these opinions are my own. 

Elizabeth Hoyt is a reliable writer of excellent historical romance. Her characters are always interesting, the writing always flows well, and the storylines are always gripping. This was no exception. Gideon Hawthorne was set up in the first Greycourt book as a fascinating, antihero type and this book does a marvelous job of fleshing him out. Messalina did not fare quite so well; she seemed like a pragmatic, intelligent, intriguing woman in book #1 but in this second novel came across as indecisive (should she stay? should she go? Stay! no, go! no, stay! no, go!) and somewhat naive (this may surprise you, but poor people in 1700s London slums did not wash frequently, nor did their children attend school, and sometimes they went hungry. Spoiler, this WAS a surprise to Messalina). I foresaw one part of the ending coming from the first but I have to admit to being very surprised by another. I don't want to spoil it so I won't say more. 

Overall I did enjoy the story, although I would caution Gideon that if he TRULY wants to impress nobles and get them to sign on with his business ventures, he may need to hire an actual cook. ;)

As usual with Ms. Hoyt, the fairytale snippets at the beginning of each chapter were a very entertaining diversion that many readers (myself definitely included) come to look forward to. I think I've actually heard of that particular fairy tale (Bet and the Fox, although I don't remember if that was the title I heard) before. 

I hope Ms. Hoyt has plenty more Greycourt stories in her, because I am VERY MUCH looking forward to both Lucretia's and Elspeth's stories. Both of them seem much more feisty and layered than your average heroine, which I personally enjoy, and both share my fondness for desserts - what could go wrong?

This plot has it all - antagonism, intrigue, danger, naivete, rags-to-riches, sparks, and more.  Perhaps a little unlikely as a whole, but Elizabeth Hoyt has finely tuned her craft and immerses us in a world of glamour and grunge with a well-told, enjoyable work of steamy historical romance.

In full disclosure, I always love an antagonistic relationship between hero/heroine in my romance novels, and if one of them has been secretly in love with each other, even better. In Elizabeth Hoyt's When A Rogue Meets His Match, Gideon Hawthorn is a dangerous nobleman's fixer who is ready to walk away from the job after years of doing the dirtiest of work to claw his way out of poverty. But then the Duke of Windermere dangles the only enticement that could tempt Gideon to stay for one more job: The hand of his niece, Messalina, in marriage. Obviously Messaline is less than thrilled by this turn of events, and this story is off and running. Hoyt's engaging writing style and ability to transport readers to another era (seriously I learned something brand new in the opening chapter, and it was hilarious) makes this well worth the read. 

4.5 stars. (-5 stars because Messalina changed her mind about Gideon at least one too many times--it was exasperating and something an editor should have caught...of course maybe not to many people gobble their books always in one sitting like I do. When you do, patterns like this become very noticeable, and in this case, tedious.)

it was a good book, but I was expecting more since I enjoy Elizabeth Hoyt stories.  I would still recommend the book but it is not my favorite.

I love this series so much! Between this and the first in the Greycourt series, I’m a huge Elizabeth Hoyt fan now. This was probably my favorite of the two; I love Gideon and fell in love with the two of them falling in love. This is a must read for any romance fans!

Reading this book felt like coming home!  Gah, I totally loved everything about this story!!!  

Messalina was a heroine with fierce loyalty and protective instincts particularly regarding her sister.  These character traits lead to her initial scheme when confronted with her uncle’s plan for her.  I loved the way she slowly began to separate herself from those intentions as she began to see there is more to Gideon Hawthorne than what she thought.


I love a hero that is hard and coarse on the outside as well as on the inside until the right woman comes along to slowly open his heart.  While Gideon was not blind to Messalina, his heart was not fully involved...until it was.  And then, holy heck, he became everything I look for and love in a perfect hero.  


This has a lot of plot avenues and I loved each one of them, never sure where this was all going to end.  The addition of several characters kept the guessing game alive even as it added so much depth to the story.  Throw in a homeless boy and a puppy for good measure and you’ve got me completely hooked.  


This book had me gasping one moment, smiling another, and crying in still another which all together compelled me to add it to my favorites list!  I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys their historical romance with sizzle along with a bit of mystery and suspense.

The heroine, Messalina, is a rich, naive (the poor go hungry in the slums, who knew!) aristocrat who has been forced to marry her uncles’s fixer.  Gideon who has come from the slums of London and has wanted Messalina for years now has her and plans to “tame” her. He just has to do one more job for her uncle.  The only qualm he has about doing the job of murdering his new brother-in-law is that his new wife might find out about it.   The characters are not likable and this is a disappointment..

Wow, what a story!!  It was outrageously, out of the ordinary good!b For me , this book is a keeper! I will want to read it again.  
It had fascinating main characters, especially Gideon Hawthorne.  I was prepared to hate him especially when the opening chapters began.  I have to admit it made for quite an unusual chapter.   Messalina's uncle, the Duke of Windermere was without a doubt rotten to the core.  He shows it throughout the book starting with the forced marriage between Gideon and Messalina.   He is gleeful when he can harm someone or make their lives miserable.   People have learned to keep their expressions blank in front of him so that he can't see anything to use against them.  
I liked that we got both of the main characters points of views. It also helped the reader see some of the motives that Gideon kept hidden.  The cost that Gideon must pay to wed Messalina is a surprise and a nasty one at that.  He isn't told what it is until after they marry.  It was quite the shocker.
This story kept me involved every step of the way.   It was intense with dangers, plots and lies but also a developing affection between the two main characters.     That affection blows up in their faces more than once though.  People are so busy interfering in their business. But some of it was because they cared about her.  Her sister is one of those people.  They are tight and have always had each others back.  Her sister Lucretia was quite the bold, mischievous young woman, who I hope gets her own story.  
There is dangers that come at Gideon and Messalina.  One of those dangers come from an unexpected person in a surprising twist.  But both of our main characters get their H.E.A.  When you think throughout the story how in the world could that happen?  
Many things are solved but there is one person who has caused problems is only stopped for now.  Looks like more book could be in the offing which I will be looking for.

The Bonus Novella was "Night of the Scoundrel"  by Kelly Bowen and was really an excellent addition.  This book was full and didn't feel like a novella at all. 

King was a dangerous man, with a lot of underworld lackeys and contacts. He also auctions off priceless goods to a certain, select wealthy clientele.

Adeline Archambault is just as dangerous in her own ways.  She made quite the worthy opponent to King.  Both main characters were compelling, with each carrying their own pain.

The story had depth, attraction, resistance to a romance especially on King's part. People had taught him not to trust anymore. There were only a select few who got that close to him.
The whole thing comes to a good conclusion. 

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

Elizabeth Hoyt is a must read for me! When a Rogue Meets His Match did not disappoint. Absolutely loved this book! 

The story begins with Mr. Gideon Hawthorne taking Messalina Greycourt back to London under the orders of her evil uncle and guardian. There she is told that she must marry Gideon (his henchman) or risk losing her dowry and sister. Messalina is frustrated but eventually agrees to this. Gideon, on the other hand, has secretly admired Messalina for years and has always wanted her. Their enemies to lover story was so insanely good, and the chemistry between them sizzled and sparked from the very beginning.        

I also loved the Greycourt Siblings together! I can not wait to read more of their story!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review!