Another thrilling novel by Elizabeth Hoyt. A sexy rogue schemes his way into marriage to become rich and join society. But what he doesn’t realize is that he will fall for the lovely Messalina. But will she look past his threatening demeanor and see what is underneath. 
You won’t be disappointed if you read this. As always I am left with wanting more and can’t wait to get my hands on her next novel. 
Thanks Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Messalina's uncle is demanding that she get married. Messalina agrees to a marriage in name only to Gideon.  The more time she is spending with Gideon, the more she likes him. I enjoyed the chemistry that developed between Messslina and Gideon. I cant wait to read Elizabeth Hoyt's next book.

The characters in this book are complicated and multi-layered - and that makes this book a fascinating read.  I had a hard time putting it down. Messalina's family and personal life are complicated to the max.  She and her sister had been under the thumb of a thoroughly evil uncle for many years.  So while they had all the privileges of wealth and rank - they were very much abused by their uncle and had only each other to depend on.  Interestingly enough, they still seem to come across - initially at least - a little bit spoiled, or maybe just supremely privileged.  

Gideon Hawthorne is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Messalina,  He is not a nice man or even a particularly good man.  He grew up in St Giles and had a pretty horrific life up to the point at which the book starts.  He has served as Messalina's uncle's enforcer for the last 10 years - collecting debts, intimidating people, and generally living a fairly rough life.  He has started to get rid of the less legitimate side of things and move into coal mining and investments.  He was working to leave the evil Duke's employment - but was offered a chance to marry Messalina in exchange for an unknown job for the Duke.  He takes the Duke up on his offer and proceeds to all but force Messalina into marriage.  

I think Gideon does think of himself as the villain of Messalina's story - but the story really shows that there are villains all around her and Gideon.  Everyone in the book is using others to their own ends - the question is who is going to rise above that and do things out of love and not just what they can get out of it.  This book also shows - as so many historical romances do - the true vulnerability of women during these times.  

I loved the depth of the characters in the book - and I definitely liked Gideon a lot - I think especially because of his depth and dimension.  I liked Messalina too - but I think even though she was more vulnerable and open, I wanted more from her.  More patience and understanding - and less judgment.  All of the emotions she had and actions she took were valid - but I think she was harder on Gideon than perhaps she should have been.  Even one of the true villains of the story gives her good advice about Gideon and she doesn't really hear what he is saying - that Gideon hasn't ever been loved and doesn't necessarily know what it is or how to express it.  

Anyway - fans of Elizabeth Hoyt will definitely appreciate this new series and enjoy this entry.  I didn't read the first book in the series - but I was able to follow things in this book just fine!  I am very interested in finding out more about Messalina's family and other characters introduced here.  

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley but these opinions are all my own.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the opening pages until the end. Such a well crafted story full of intrigue, pain and also love. Watching Messalina's different feelings thoughout the book spoke volumes, but it was Gideon who really captured my interest. He was a flawed man full of self-loathing for not protecting his younger brother and it was only Messalina's love that finally taught him the meaning of family. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Greycourt series.

Messalina will do anything to get away from her evil guardian uncle, even marry his henchman, Gideon. While Messalina plans to have a marriage of convenience, Gideon plans for much more. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Forever for my honest review.

Meh read from Ms Hoyt not at all up to her Maiden Lane standards. The enemies to lovers ruined my interest early in the story and I never connected with either of the characters.

Rating: 5/5
First off, let me start by saying you can read this as a standalone! The story is very sweet and definitely had my favorite trope, aka, ENEMIES TO LOVERS YALL ( though the enemies thing is one sided, BUT it still counts). I really liked how Gideon and Messalina both were discovering each other and falling in love with each other. They both had to deal with difficult situations and trust was not easy but they worked on it. There were so many twists and turns and obstacles in their relationship but it ends up well.  The story wraps up well, and can I just say the bonus story gets 1000000 stars from me !! I loved the extra novella and wouldn’t mind a whole book for it!

Gideon Hawthorne is the rogue and Messalina Greycourt is his match. Look for a lot of tension, some surprising reveals and how two change their minds and hearts. While Gideon and Messalina find their HEA the real rogue or villain is still out there. They may have gotten away but there are more Greycourt's left to find danger, tension and finally romance.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This is the second book in a series but it is not necessary to have read the first. Messalina is kidnapped by and forced to marry henchman Gideon on the orders of her evil uncle the Duke. Yes, that’s a little problematic but we’ll get over it because Gideon is hot and damaged and Messalina is tough and awesome. Of course the marriage of convenience turns into true love. We meet Messalina’s siblings who will no doubt get books of their own and they are a promising group
I love Elizabeth Hoyt books so I was very excited to see this come up on net galley. Her books fit well within the conventional historical romance category but there is always something special and different in the details. Her sex scenes are great, the characters are well drawn and the stories usually have some action element that makes it hard to put down. 
I recommend this and her whole back catalog!

One of my favorite things about Elizabeth Hoyt is the original fairy tales she includes a snippet of at the beginning of each chapter. In When a Rogue Meets His Match, it’s the story of a fae fox who bargains with a lost tinker to marry the man’s daughter. The fox wants the girl but doesn’t really know what to do with her. And that pretty neatly sums up Gideon, our hero, who grew in the slums of 18th century London and makes a deal with his devilish employer to marry his beautiful and intelligent niece, Messalina.

Messalina herself is less than pleased at this arrangement, and begins plotting her escape from the sly and amoral man immediately. But as she gets to know Gideon, the idea of leaving him becomes less attractive, while he only grows more intriguing.

Hoyt doesn’t skimp on the angst here. Both of the couple are deeply damaged by their pasts, but this leads to an earned and emotionally satisfying resolution.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.

Landing squarely in the realm of mediocre for me, unfortunately, despite high hopes! Good historical romance, forced-marriage/enemies-to-lovers kind of plot thread, but a few too many unbelievable plot points and some truly distracting euphemisms in the steamy scenes knocked this from a 3-star to a 2-star read.

This was a hard one to review.  It started out with an interesting premise Gideon the hero bribed with marrying a corrupt Duke's niece Messalina which is what Gideon wants.  However it got lost in the weeds and felt rushed near the end where it seemed the threads of the story were lost and weren't pulled together in a compelling way toward the end.

Gideon Hawthorne has had a rough upbringing that made him extra suitable to be the evil Duke of Windemere's hired man.  But when Gideon decides to leave the Duke, he is bribed by the one thing that might tempt him, the Duke's niece Messalina.  The forced marriage does not make Messalina very happy but she eventually learns that there is more to Gideon than violence and cunning.  I really like this book.  I especially liked Gideon and the way his character evolved.  There were some very steamy scenes in this historical romance and lots of side characters to populate further books.  This is a series that I will follow.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was unsatisfying in every sense of the word.
 
Too many loose ends, the constant pull and tug, which I originally loved, between the characters was overused and annoying. This started off so strong and the slow burn romance had me swooning but there were too many unresolved issues/loose ends that ultimately affected my reading experience. From the would be ‘assassins’, the heroine’s dowry, Uncle Augustus Greycourt who is the Duke of Windemere true intentions, what happened when Gideon showed up at the inn to confront Julien and Quintus, why Julien was keeping a watchful eye on their despised relative, Gideon business ventures with the mines which wasn’t disclosed until the finale, if and how Messalina decided to help those less fortunate like Sam, would Lucretia be forced to married by their uncle, and William Blackwell embezzlement scheme and relationship with Lucretia. 
 
It was obvious the author just threw the end together and made Blackwell the villain which didn’t make real sense to me but whatever. Maybe I missed a huge chunk of something…? It was terribly rushed and with the direction of the story and how it ended left me saying ‘whaaat?!’ So overall, I am not impressed and still mildly confused on what the heck I just read.

After I read the first of Elizabeth Hoyt’s Greycourt series, I was hooked. When a Rogue Meets His Match is an outstanding addition. It is filled with passion, mystery, betrayal, and humor. A heart thumping love story, intriguing plot, the smarmiest of villains, and incredible characters you love rooting for. 
Gideon and Messalina were such wonderful characters. They needed each other to achieve their goals. They saw each other as a means to an end. But once they wed and got to know each other, they each began to doubt their plans. Finding themselves enthralled by their spouse was not part of the plans they’d made. I loved watching their journey in discovering each other and themselves. 
Elizabeth Hoyt writes phenomenal characters. From the dastardly uncle to Messalina’s troubled siblings, to the rag tag group of servants Gideon employed. I was mesmerized by them all. The addition of characters like these make the difference between a good book and a great book. 
While this book can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the first in the series as well. Actually, I recommend reading every Elizabeth Hoyt book you can get your hands on. Her stories, with their compelling characters and exciting plots, really stand out from the crowd.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical romance. Messalina is forced to marry her father's hired man despite her disapproval of his violent nature. Gideon has agreed to marry Messalina because of his powerful attraction to her beauty and intelligence. And also to improve his standing in society.  Initially Messalina resists the union but bargains with Gideon to own part of her dowry which she planned to use to runaway with her sister. Gideon does his best to to do small things to make her happy and win her spirit. The plan works until she discovers his deadly bargain with her father. While I enjoyed their sweet romance and the sexual tension between them I felt Messalina forgave him too easily and he cannot fully express his love her. The ending felt rushed and some sexual scenes left much to be desired. 
Overall, a decent romance worth the read.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review 

This one was a slow burn. I did not care much for either the heroine or the hero at first but they grow on you. The romance feels satisfying in the end. Not the author’s best, but certainly not a bad book. 3.5 rounded up

Full review to be published online in late December.

One of my favorite things about Elizabeth Hoyt is the original fairy tales she includes a snippet of at the beginning of each chapter. In When a Rogue Meets His Match, it’s the story of a fae fox who bargains with a lost tinker to marry the man’s daughter. The fox wants the girl but doesn’t really know what to do with her. And that pretty neatly sums up Gideon, our hero, who grew in the slums of 18th century London and makes a deal with his devilish employer to marry his beautiful and intelligent niece, Messalina.

Messalina herself is less than pleased at this arrangement, and begins plotting her escape from the sly and amoral man immediately. But as she gets to know Gideon, the idea of leaving him becomes less attractive, while he only grows more intriguing.

Hoyt doesn’t skimp on the angst here. Both of the couple are deeply damaged by their pasts, but this leads to an earned and emotionally satisfying resolution