When a Rogue Meets His Match: Includes a Bonus Novella
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- Create Date：2020-12-06 04:18:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Elizabeth Hoyt
- ISBN：9781538763551
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Summary
Return to New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt's signature drama and intrigue， where two enemies will discover if their marriage of convenience can survive -- 'til death do they part。
Ambitious， sly， and lethally intelligent， Gideon Hawthorne has spent his life clawing his way up from the gutter。 For the last ten years， he's acted as the Duke of Windemere's fixer， performing the duke's dirty work without question。 Now Gideon's ready to quit the duke's service and work solely for himself。 But Windermere tempts Gideon with an irresistible offer: one last task for Messalina Greycourt's hand in marriage。
Witty， vivacious Messalina Greycourt has her pick of suitors， so when her uncle demands Messalina marry Mr。 Hawthorne， she is appalled。 But Gideon offers her a devil's bargain of his own: protection and freedom in exchange for a true marriage。 Messalina feigns agreement and plots to escape their deal。 Only the more time she spends with Gideon， the more her fierce， loyal husband arouses her affections。 But will Gideon's final deed for Windemere destroy the love growing between them？
Ambitious， sly， and lethally intelligent， Gideon Hawthorne has spent his life clawing his way up from the gutter。 For the last ten years， he's acted as the Duke of Windemere's fixer， performing the duke's dirty work without question。 Now Gideon's ready to quit the duke's service and work solely for himself。 But Windermere tempts Gideon with an irresistible offer: one last task for Messalina Greycourt's hand in marriage。
Witty， vivacious Messalina Greycourt has her pick of suitors， so when her uncle demands Messalina marry Mr。 Hawthorne， she is appalled。 But Gideon offers her a devil's bargain of his own: protection and freedom in exchange for a true marriage。 Messalina feigns agreement and plots to escape their deal。 Only the more time she spends with Gideon， the more her fierce， loyal husband arouses her affections。 But will Gideon's final deed for Windemere destroy the love growing between them？
Editor Reviews
★ 09/28/2020
An arranged marriage leads to passion， intrigue， and love in Hoyt’s engaging second Georgian-era Greycourt romance （after Not the Duke’s Darling）。 Gideon Hawthorne is tired of working as a henchman for the dastardly Duke of Windemere。 But when the Duke offers Gideon his niece Messalina Greycourt’s hand in marriage in exchange for one final job， Gideon， who has been besotted by Messalina since they were teens， can’t refuse—not even when he learns the job is murder。 Messalina’s hefty dowry and high connections might finally allow Gideon to leave behind his lowly past。 Though fiery Messalina balks at the arrangement， she realizes that marrying Gideon offers an escape from the tyrannical rule of her uncle。 The dynamic relationship between Messalina and Gideon is alluring， stirring， and sensual， but complicated by Gideon’s struggles to fulfill his commitment to the Duke and the constant interference of Messalina’s siblings， who hope to rescue her from Gideon while evading their uncle’s sinister machinations。 Historical romance fans will be gratified by the way Hoyt highlights social issues， focusing on Gideon and Messalina’s struggle against poverty and 18th-century gender roles。 Credible characters， steamy romance， and heart-pounding action set this romance apart。 This edition includes a bonus novella not seen by PW。 Agent: Robin Rue， Writers House。 （Dec。）
Reviews
Murme
，
The first chapter hits the ground running and doesn't stop。 The Duke of Windemere keeps a tight rein on his family manipulating them for his pleasure。 Messalina， her oldest brother， Justin， the Duke's heir， another brother， Quintas and sister Lucretia are the Greycourts。 Their "dear" uncle's puppets。 Gideon Hawthorne is a puppet， too。 The Duke's fixer since he was hired off the dirty streets of London at seventeen。 Gideon has always wanted Messalina， but knows he's not good enough。 Ahh the Duke。 He offers Messalina in marriage 。。。for a price。 Is Gideon willing to accept the bargain and risk losing Messalina after their marriage？ Complex relationships with several different people。 Unexpected beginnings and endings。 A darkness that sits in the background。 Don't expect to put this book down， even when you finish。 A reminder of why reading a book。by Elizabeth Hoyt is a good choice。 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。
LianaReads blog
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4。5 starsAnd that's why i love this author's work so much。 Messalina （ such an interesting name for a heroine） is a strong female character that has a mind of her own and it's not lead or let herself lead by anyone， not even by what her heart really desires。 Her dreams and passion are stronger than the closed minded people around her and she stands her ground in front of the charming like a devil， Gideon。 He put his foot in his mouth and boy， does he have to grovel for her love at the end。 4。5 starsAnd that's why i love this author's work so much。 Messalina （ such an interesting name for a heroine） is a strong female character that has a mind of her own and it's not lead or let herself lead by anyone， not even by what her heart really desires。 Her dreams and passion are stronger than the closed minded people around her and she stands her ground in front of the charming like a devil， Gideon。 He put his foot in his mouth and boy， does he have to grovel for her love at the end。 Another lovely historical romance from a favorite author。 。。。more
Barb in Maryland
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I was disappointed。 The rating is rather generous， thanks to a timely appearance by the heroine's sister Lucretia。When I finally get my thoughts on this sorted out I may write a real review。I will mention that Messalina's insta-lust for Gideon had me rolling my eyes--a lot！ She has just been forced to marry him; she wants nothing to do with him， but still manages to think he's hot。:::gag me with a spoon:::FYI， I thought the Kelly Bowen story that shares the volume was better than Hoyt's novel。 I I was disappointed。 The rating is rather generous， thanks to a timely appearance by the heroine's sister Lucretia。When I finally get my thoughts on this sorted out I may write a real review。I will mention that Messalina's insta-lust for Gideon had me rolling my eyes--a lot！ She has just been forced to marry him; she wants nothing to do with him， but still manages to think he's hot。:::gag me with a spoon:::FYI， I thought the Kelly Bowen story that shares the volume was better than Hoyt's novel。 I now need to read some more by Bowen。 。。。more
Andrea Morris
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FormulaicI purchased this book。 Interesting that new releases now cost $13 （Australian） for the electronic version。 Why the jump from $9？？ Anyway， this will be the last one I buy from EH。 She seems to have gone by the way of most historical romance authors。 Cardboard characters， lack of strong dialogue， drawn out irrelevant scenes which take up too much space in an ever lessening book length。 I'm over it。 My favourite part in all of EH's books is when Artemis and Maximus have that confrontation FormulaicI purchased this book。 Interesting that new releases now cost $13 （Australian） for the electronic version。 Why the jump from $9？？ Anyway， this will be the last one I buy from EH。 She seems to have gone by the way of most historical romance authors。 Cardboard characters， lack of strong dialogue， drawn out irrelevant scenes which take up too much space in an ever lessening book length。 I'm over it。 My favourite part in all of EH's books is when Artemis and Maximus have that confrontation about rescuing Apollo。 THAT is the intensity I look for in this genre， but rarely find。 。。。more
Debbie Dodd
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I enjoyed reading。
Lissa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 CharactersGreycourt family - father died young， mother died days after Aurelia， girls sent to batchlor uncle who died， leaving the。 To evil uncle， duke of ？Julian greycourt- best friends with Harlow， Ranulf at 18。 Was present & held Harlow back as uncle beat Ranulf。。 now cold & not much use to Melisandre Aurelia greycourtx bright and vivacious。 Was planning on eloping with Ranulf & escaping evil uncle but was dead when Harlow arrived。 Quintin - twin to Aurelia。 Now angry and drunk CharactersGreycourt family - father died young， mother died days after Aurelia， girls sent to batchlor uncle who died， leaving the。 To evil uncle， duke of ？Julian greycourt- best friends with Harlow， Ranulf at 18。 Was present & held Harlow back as uncle beat Ranulf。。 now cold & not much use to Melisandre Aurelia greycourtx bright and vivacious。 Was planning on eloping with Ranulf & escaping evil uncle but was dead when Harlow arrived。 Quintin - twin to Aurelia。 Now angry and drunk all the time。 Melisandre - as when A died。 Brothers left her & Lucretia in uncles control。 She tries to protect Lucretia。 Was best friends with Frey’s de MLucretia -。 Was 7 when A & parents died。 Not much memory of time before。 Loves sweets。 Is smart， maybe sly。 Childhood rivals of elspeth de M for treats & toys。 De Moray family， Duke of ayr - died died after Aurelia。Ran de Moray， duke of Ayr。 - loved Aurelia greycourt。 During elopement she died， Ran was accused of her murder by evil uncle， beaten near to death， lost hand to gangrene。 Was artist but can’t now。 Never leaves house， doesn’t interact with people。？ De Moray- younger brother。 Is managing dukedom after dads death。Freya de M-was taken with all sister by aunt after parents dead to live with wise women in north Scotland。 Best friends with Melisandre。 。 After returns under alias to spy for wise woman， refuses to acknowledge Melisandre。 Lived as companion to lady Holland。 Now married to Harlow。C de Moray - was with wise woman， has left for unknown reasonElspeth de M - record keeper for wise woman， left because disagrees with order to withdraw from world。Kester Duke of Harlow- after A death， father shamed， married to Sophie who is simple， sent to India， both captured in uprising， Sophia died。 Ashamed of that and that he didn’t help Ran during beating。 His parents as well as distant Cozi all died so he inherited title unexpectedly。Holland familyLord Holland - easily lead， conservativeLady Holland - wants happy matches for girlsRegina holland - bright， bold engaged to ？Arabella holand- eldest most sedative daughter， didn’t attract suitors until earl of rookwoode。 Mom worried he doesn’t really care about A while she loves himGideon’s householdGideon Hawthorne - orphaned in st Giles with younger brother （dead） despises aristocrats， was knife fighter to survive until Duke hired him as bully boy。 Now wants to get nobles $ for business expansion。Sam - 6 yr old orphan street childReggie - manages household。Crusher- new butler， Elspeth recognizes Keys - Gideon spymasterHicks - boy cook found I tavern， can’t cookBlackwell - Gideon’s partner of coal minds。 。。。more
Danielle Bush
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Elizabeth Hoyt writes so well that I always feel like im in I am loving the Greycourt Series so far！ From the very first page when Messalina is being attacked by some highwaymen while she is relieving herself in the privacy of her carrainge while Gideon and her ladys maid wait outside。Gideon Hawthorn is a man who grew up on the streets of St。 Giles。 He grew up literally fighting for everything， and will do whatever it takes including forcing Messalina into marriage。 Messalina knows she has no Elizabeth Hoyt writes so well that I always feel like im in I am loving the Greycourt Series so far！ From the very first page when Messalina is being attacked by some highwaymen while she is relieving herself in the privacy of her carrainge while Gideon and her ladys maid wait outside。Gideon Hawthorn is a man who grew up on the streets of St。 Giles。 He grew up literally fighting for everything， and will do whatever it takes including forcing Messalina into marriage。 Messalina knows she has no choice， but is going to do what she can to make sure she also gets something out of the arrangment。。 Saving her sister from her uncle。。 I sat and read this in one sitting。 The romance was perfect， I loved watching them fall for each other。 Gideon was supposed to do a job for the duke in exchage for marriage to messalina and was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how all of that was going to play out。。 I loved this book， and can't wait to read more from this series and from Elizabeth Hoyt。。 I also really loved the short story by Kelly Bowen I thought it was great！ and now I want to read more of her books， 。。。more
Margaret
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The first chapter hits the ground running and doesn't stop。 The Duke of Windemere keeps a tight rein on his family manipulating them for his pleasure。 Messalina， her oldest brother， Justin， the Duke's heir， another brother， Quintas and sister Lucretia are the Greycourts。 Their "dear" uncle's puppets。 Gideon Hawthorne is a puppet， too。 The Duke's fixer since he was hired off the dirty streets of London at seventeen。 Gideon has always wanted Messalina， but knows he's not good enough。 Ahh the Duke。 The first chapter hits the ground running and doesn't stop。 The Duke of Windemere keeps a tight rein on his family manipulating them for his pleasure。 Messalina， her oldest brother， Justin， the Duke's heir， another brother， Quintas and sister Lucretia are the Greycourts。 Their "dear" uncle's puppets。 Gideon Hawthorne is a puppet， too。 The Duke's fixer since he was hired off the dirty streets of London at seventeen。 Gideon has always wanted Messalina， but knows he's not good enough。 Ahh the Duke。 He offers Messalina in marriage 。。。for a price。 Is Gideon willing to accept the bargain and risk losing Messalina after their marriage？ Complex relationships with several different people。 Unexpected beginnings and endings。 A darkness that sits in the background。 Don't expect to put this book down， even when you finish。 A reminder of why reading a book。by Elizabeth Hoyt is a good choice。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
Viper Spaulding
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Get ready to swoon for Gideon！I love a good bad boy story， though I rarely find one in a historical romance。 Here， Gideon's story arc is the whole reason for the book and the only reason you need。 He's more than a rogue （he's nearly a villain when one considers his history） yet his love for Messalina becomes a driving force in his redemption。 And wow， does he love Messalina！ It takes a while for even Gideon to realize the depth of his feelings， beyond the obvious attraction and amazing Get ready to swoon for Gideon！I love a good bad boy story， though I rarely find one in a historical romance。 Here， Gideon's story arc is the whole reason for the book and the only reason you need。 He's more than a rogue （he's nearly a villain when one considers his history） yet his love for Messalina becomes a driving force in his redemption。 And wow， does he love Messalina！ It takes a while for even Gideon to realize the depth of his feelings， beyond the obvious attraction and amazing chemistry， and I loved every bit of the journey。 Messalina， likewise， takes quite a while to see Gideon's hidden layers and realize that he's everything she's ever wanted。 Faced with absolutely no choice in her life， she fights to negotiate a set of terms that at least cedes a modicum of control over her choices。 Once the forced marriage takes place， the action really takes off。 This is a complicated story with hidden motives， secret alliances， and tested loyalties。 I was glued to the book all the way through and I cheered when they finally cemented their HEA。 Still a few loose ends left for future books as far as the family dynamics and ongoing mystery are concerned， but this book works as a standalone romance for Gideon and Messalina。 I'm looking forward to reading more in this intriguing series。I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Sarah Wayne
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This was a wonderful book。 I enjoyed the main characters and their interactions。 The level of heat was good and the plotline while predictable was highly enjoyable。 I'll look for more by this author。 Thanks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。
Lourdes
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Gideon Hawthorne has worked all his life to climb out from the gutter he was born in。 At the service of the ruthless Duke of Windemere， he seems to be a man without morals or emotion with only his goals for money and power to guide him， but it will all change when he marries Messalina Greycourt in exchange for an unknown favor to Windemere， her uncle。This story was unexpected。 Messalina and Gideon are both strong characters， each pulling to get away with their respective goals and once her Gideon Hawthorne has worked all his life to climb out from the gutter he was born in。 At the service of the ruthless Duke of Windemere， he seems to be a man without morals or emotion with only his goals for money and power to guide him， but it will all change when he marries Messalina Greycourt in exchange for an unknown favor to Windemere， her uncle。This story was unexpected。 Messalina and Gideon are both strong characters， each pulling to get away with their respective goals and once her siblings arrive and start running interference the plot will take its fair share of twists。I liked their relationship before and after the afore-mentioned interference and the intrigue surrounding the various murder plots at hand。 Once again， the author brings a swoon worthy couple， a sensual romance and enough intrigue to keep the reader hanging until the very last page。4 stars*ARC was received via NetGalley* 。。。more
Cat
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Sometimes the support characters are more interesting than the main ones。 Would have liked more depth to the main characters but still fun。I remember being absolutely captivated by the first book， I am undecided about this one though it did have some moments of beauty
C Lee
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*ARC received from author for an honest review*I always look forward to a new Elizabeth Hoyt book with great anticipation and was lucky enough to be given an ARC for review！ And as expected， Ms Hoyt does not disappoint。 It's a love/"not-love" （I refuse to use hate） relationship with book series for me。。。love the continuation of story lines， bonus that each book is a stand alone。。。"not-love" that i have to wait for the next book。I especially love stories that are not just strictly romance but *ARC received from author for an honest review*I always look forward to a new Elizabeth Hoyt book with great anticipation and was lucky enough to be given an ARC for review！ And as expected， Ms Hoyt does not disappoint。 It's a love/"not-love" （I refuse to use hate） relationship with book series for me。。。love the continuation of story lines， bonus that each book is a stand alone。。。"not-love" that i have to wait for the next book。I especially love stories that are not just strictly romance but additional side story and bonus that it is a story that started with H/h not in like/love but developed deep feelings as the story progress。Overall， enjoyed this book very much。。。bring on the next！ 。。。more
Gata Leitora / Cat reader
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A cruel duke， a feared henchman and a determined niece 。。。。 What can come of this mixture？Messalina is taken out of the carriage in which she travels with her younger sister by order of her uncle and goes to his home accompanied by the dangerous and lethal Gideon。 She has no idea what her uncle wants but she already imagines the worst and the worst can be even more complicated when she discovers that she will have to marry the murderous henchman。Gideon is a man who grew up in adversity， saw his A cruel duke， a feared henchman and a determined niece 。。。。 What can come of this mixture？Messalina is taken out of the carriage in which she travels with her younger sister by order of her uncle and goes to his home accompanied by the dangerous and lethal Gideon。 She has no idea what her uncle wants but she already imagines the worst and the worst can be even more complicated when she discovers that she will have to marry the murderous henchman。Gideon is a man who grew up in adversity， saw his brother die and after gaining fame in the fight with knives he becomes the duke's fixer。 On the contrary， Messalina was born in a golden cradle but lost her parents and found herself and her siblings at the mercy of the duke's will and cruelties。 Both she and Gideon want to get rid of the bonds that bind them to the duke and when Gideon convinces her to accept the marriage to have the freedom she wants and for her to help him approach the aristocracy to have good investors for his business everything seems to fit in。 What both did not expect was that this union would yield much more than their freedom。Messalina， initially angry with the whole situation， does not move a finger to help Gideon， but little by little she gets to know the crude man she married and realizing that there is more to him than she can imagine。 She convinces him that he needs to improve the house he bought， wear appropriate clothes to walk around the aristocracy and have good manners to get the position he wishes to occupy with the nobles。Between walks， shopping， secrets， hot moments and attacks， these two stubborns will realize how much strength they have and what they really want for the future。 But is it simple to get rid of the duke and find out who wants to see our protagonists dead？I loved too much how the two characters matured over the course of the plot and how it was noticeable to see the desire turn into love。 I just found the beginning a little slurred and a little repetitive but when Messalina's siblings arrive and the confusion begins to unfold the book takes off。 The ending was surprising and the revelation left my jaw dropping because I spent much of the reading weaving theories about who was behind the attacks on Gideon and Messalina。4/5 stars 。。。more
Avid Reader
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Hoyt does it again！I am a huge fan of all of Elizabeth Hoyts books， and this one is one of my favorites。Gideon Hawthorne has made a success of himself; however， despite all of his success， there is one thing he does not have- Messalina。 Messalina is the niece of the powerful Duke of Windermere and is the pawn in her uncle's scheme to have Gideon do his bidding。 The task required in return for marrying Messalina may be more than Gideon can handle。Parts of the book that I loved:At the beginning of Hoyt does it again！I am a huge fan of all of Elizabeth Hoyt’s books， and this one is one of my favorites。Gideon Hawthorne has made a success of himself; however， despite all of his success， there is one thing he does not have- Messalina。 Messalina is the niece of the powerful Duke of Windermere and is the pawn in her uncle's scheme to have Gideon do his bidding。 The task required in return for marrying Messalina may be more than Gideon can handle。Parts of the book that I loved:At the beginning of the story， Gideon’s heart is not involved。 He has a plan to better his life， and though he desires his wife， he has no plans to love her。 However， the longer Messalina and Gideon are together， the more they respect and love each other。While Messalina and Gideon get to know each other better， each learns something from the other-Gideon opens Messalina’s eyes to those that are less fortunate。 Prior to meeting Gideon， Messalina had never before had cause to look into the lives of the less fortunate; however， once Gideon opens her eyes， Messalina resolves to help the less fortunate。 Messalina， on the other hand， teaches Gideon the power of love （swoon）。Gideon is such a caring husband。 He may not know what love is， but he is so kind and considerate to Messalina that readers can not help but fall in love with him。I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading historical romance。 You will not be disappointed！I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review。 This review reflects my own opinion of the story 。。。more
Sophie （slovenianbookworm）
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Another win by Elizabeth Hoyt！I loved her Maiden Lane series and I cannot tell you how much I loved this book！Gideon and Messalina have a rocky start。 She doesnt exactly like him and marrying him doesnt really help。 But they soon start to navigate their new life together。Gideon knows hes different from other members of the ton。 He doesnt really belong to them and thats what is bothering him。 He wants to belong。 Gideon soon realizes that he needs the help of someone who knows the rules of Society Another win by Elizabeth Hoyt！I loved her Maiden Lane series and I cannot tell you how much I loved this book！Gideon and Messalina have a rocky start。 She doesn’t exactly like him and marrying him doesn’t really help。 But they soon start to navigate their new life together。Gideon knows he’s different from other members of the ton。 He doesn’t really belong to them and that’s what is bothering him。 He wants to belong。 Gideon soon realizes that he needs the help of someone who knows the rules of Society – his wife。I think what I loved in this book is that Gideon isn’t really the kind of man he shows to the world。 He can be kind even though he was surrounded with violence。 He will do anything to protect Messalina even if it means lying to her what Windermere （Messalina’s uncle） wants of him。He is so sweet and I love these small acts of kindness he did for her。 It just makes him more swoony as a book boyfriend。 “What do you like？” He cleared his throat。 “For entertainment？” “Books。”I think the best part is seeing Messalina grow with him。 She realizes that her world is not perfect and she acts on it and decides to change it。 Well， help， really。 But I liked her for that。 Late that afternoon Messalina stood in Whispers’ cavernous library and tried not to look as appalled as she felt。 Along the walls lovely oak shelves reached nearly to the ceiling—entirely empty。 “How can a library be a library without books？”5 stars。Rating: 5 out of 5。ARC provided by the author* in exchange for an honest review。 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。Full post: https://slovenianbookworm。wordpress。c。。。*Not so funny story: The author sent it to me but I didn’t immedialtely read it because I was reading something else。 Then I completely forgot and I didn’t remember until the release date。 I looked on my Kindle app and ”POOF”， the book wasn’t there。 It got deleted！ So I bought it immediately。 I am very angry at Amazon and I have no idea why the book deleted （no matter how many times I refreshed the page！！）。 Gaaah。 。。。more
Jess
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I exclaimed out loud at the 12% mark of this book。Elizabeth Hoyt is an auto-buy author for me， so when I saw her latest release coming， I knew I had to read it。 Hoyt did not let down her fans with this one。 Instead， she catapulted us into the stratosphere。The story starts with a literal bang， and it does not slow down from there。Messalina is a headstrong woman in a time that wanted nothing more than to see her defeated。 But she wont play the game。 Shes here to win， and nothing will get in her I exclaimed out loud at the 12% mark of this book。Elizabeth Hoyt is an auto-buy author for me， so when I saw her latest release coming， I knew I had to read it。 Hoyt did not let down her fans with this one。 Instead， she catapulted us into the stratosphere。The story starts with a literal bang， and it does not slow down from there。Messalina is a headstrong woman in a time that wanted nothing more than to see her defeated。 But she won’t play the game。 She’s here to win， and nothing will get in her way。I know Gideon is meant to be our dashing， strong hero， but his story is utterly heart wrenching。 That is what Hoyt is so good at。 She shows us the underbelly of London and the people who walk there。 Gideon is no exception， and you’re rooting for him from the beginning。This story is multi-faceted， each layer adding to the tension of the story and plowing the character development forward。 And end - ugh， you must read it for yourself。Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Amanda
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was totally， extremely okay。 I feel much the same way about this one as I felt about the first in the Graycourt series。 Whelmed。The hero， Gideon， is a bully for hire who works for a very unpleasant nobleman。 He has coveted the heroine， the unpleasant nobleman's niece， for the last forever years。 So when he is offered her hand in marriage for a "special" job， he jumps at it。 With Messalina and her dowry， he thinks he can break into the aristocracy and make his fortune。 Messalina thinks This book was totally， extremely okay。 I feel much the same way about this one as I felt about the first in the Graycourt series。 Whelmed。The hero， Gideon， is a bully for hire who works for a very unpleasant nobleman。 He has coveted the heroine， the unpleasant nobleman's niece， for the last forever years。 So when he is offered her hand in marriage for a "special" job， he jumps at it。 With Messalina and her dowry， he thinks he can break into the aristocracy and make his fortune。 Messalina thinks this is all a complete crock of The Worst Idea Ever， but since her opinion is not solicited， she finds herself married。 She has wrangled a month before the marriage is consummated， and she plans to take her younger sister and hit the road to the American Colonies。 Thusly getting away from both her Gross Uncle and her Unwanted Husband。SPOILERS AHOY！And here is where， for me， the fit hits the shan， because:Turns out that the job Uncle Unpleasant wants done is the murder of his heir， Messalina's oldest brother。 So yeah， it is going to be a little awkward at family dinners。And in about three days Messalina is starting to have warm feelings towards the man who forced her into wedlock。 For no reason other than he is （of course） very good looking， she starts to think he has hidden depths （he doesn't）。It was just so unrealistic。 And I KNOW that there is just so much in most romance novels that is unrealistic and ridiculous。 I know that！ I just could not suspend my disbelief for this one。 One day Messalina hates her husband's guts， he gives her a puppy， and blammo， she thinks she loves him。 I like puppies as much as the next person， but No。Messalina finds out that Gideon is a big old liar who rushed her into bed when he realized her brothers could force an annulment。 What she thought was True Love was actually I Have the Hots for You and Really Need Your Dowry。After three attempts on his life， Gideon starts thinking someone might want him dead。 He still hasn't murdered his brother-in-law。 His wife hates his guts。 So he mans up and has a long talk with her about everything that is happening。 HA。 As if。 Instead， he buys her a library。 Listen， I like books way more than the next person， and even a library would not have made me like him， because he was going along acting like a complete selfish schmuck。 A little honest communication would have gone farther than a library。In the end， the library and the puppy， and the fact that Gideon does NOT whack her brother， makes Messalina fall right back in love and it is all happy endings。They find out who was trying to kill Gideon， but if you could not figure that out before they did， you were not trying very hard。I like most of Hoyt's other books， but this one was just okay。I do hope that in the next book we find out who killed the golden Aurelia。 。。。more
AnnMarie
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When a Rogue Meets His Match is the second book in the Greycourt series by Elizabeth Hoyt。 It can be read as a standalone story。Gideon Hawthorne has worked his way up from the slums of London， first of all by becoming a knife fighter， and then by working for the Duke of Windemere。 He did and does all the nasty jobs that the Duke wanted him to do。 Gideon has invested in mining and wants to stop working for Windemere but when he tries to quit he is persuaded not to。 Windermere has offered his When a Rogue Meets His Match is the second book in the Greycourt series by Elizabeth Hoyt。 It can be read as a standalone story。Gideon Hawthorne has worked his way up from the slums of London， first of all by becoming a knife fighter， and then by working for the Duke of Windemere。 He did and does all the nasty jobs that the Duke wanted him to do。 Gideon has invested in mining and wants to stop working for Windemere but when he tries to quit he is persuaded not to。 Windermere has offered his niece's hand in marriage if he carries on working for him and he has one particular job in mind that needs doing ASAP。Messalina Greycourt is Windemere's niece。 Gideon， as the Duke's 'fixer'， is the one to pretty much kidnap her and take her to her Uncle。 It is there that she is told that she is to marry and she is to marry Gideon。 Circumstances prevent her from being able to say no and so starts her and Gideon's story。Messalina wants to hate Gideon， but the more she comes to know him the more she realises that he isn't as hard and uncaring as she believed。 She starts her marriage fully intending to take her sister and run away as soon as she has the money， but she starts to question that plan。 She sees a new side to Gideon that she could love。 Already she finds herself lusting after him and wonders if she did the right thing telling him that she didn't want to consummate the marriage for a month。 Gideon has been in lust， perhaps love， with Messalina for a very long time。 He wants nothing more than for their marriage to become a real one， but with what he has to do for her Uncle in the works he is sure to lose her one way or another。I must admit that it was quite strange to read a story where the hero is quite violent。 I know that he's brought himself up and that he's rough， but it was just strange reading scenes where he actually murders somebody！ For a little while there I didn't like Gideon at all but as his character developed he soon became a proper hero。 Messalina， well， she annoyed me at times because of her indecision， did she want a real marriage， did she trust Gideon， or didn't she？ Yes， she did， hang on no she doesn't。 It was definitely a case of will they won't they right to the end。I read the first book in this series and loved the plot involving the 'Wise Women'。 A secret society of women who do all they can to help other women in trouble。 Women who in the days long gone would have been condemned as witches。 I really looked forward to reading more about them in this book but there was very little mention of them。Also， I felt like I had missed books in the series when there were references to something terrible happening in the past involving the Greycourt family， something that changed them for the worst。 It involved the death of one of the Greycourt siblings， but we don't how they died and I am guessing that the author might go into more detail in future books。 But， I am the type that wants to know the whys and wherefores at the time， I don't want to read about the fallout and then wait for future books to find out what caused it。 Other than that though， this book was a good one which for the most part I did enjoy。 。。。more
Krystal
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I know I'm likely to be in the minority with my thoughts on this one， but I really just couldn't get into the story。 A lot of it seemed to move at a snail's pace with emphasis on dialog that told instead of showed the reader what was happening。I also felt disconnected from the characters。 They were hard to like （especially Messalina who not only seemed more naïve than a woman her age should be about the workings of the world， but also because more than once came across as being worked up and I know I'm likely to be in the minority with my thoughts on this one， but I really just couldn't get into the story。 A lot of it seemed to move at a snail's pace with emphasis on dialog that told instead of showed the reader what was happening。I also felt disconnected from the characters。 They were hard to like （especially Messalina who not only seemed more naïve than a woman her age should be about the workings of the world， but also because more than once came across as being worked up and overreacting over nothing）。 However， I thought the beginning started off well enough， with the bargain struck between these two， and I had high hopes for their romance （especially when you learn that Gideon has been in love， or at least infatuated with， her for years）。 However， despite the author's best attempts， I never bought into them actually falling in love with each other。 It also seemed as though the ending was rushed through leaving loose ends （which I detest）， although considering there is an overreaching arc that will presumably continue into future books， it makes sense。 It's just not my cup of tea。 That being said， I actually also have book one in this series sitting on my kindle as well （oops I misread the published date and thought it was the second instead of the first）， hopefully I have better luck with that one！ DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Amazon First Reads。 This has not affected my review in any way。 All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own。 。。。more
FV Angela
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Really enjoyed。 Review to come at Smexy Books
Mjspice
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The author has always been a hit and miss for me but this one sounds really bad。https://smartbitchestrashybooks。com/r。。。
Nicoleta
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Finally out！ Read it in one go and absolutely loved it！ It deserves all 5 stars and more。
Marsha Keeper Bookshelf
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Reviewed at Keeper BookshelfWhen A Rogue Meets His Match is the second title in the Greycourt series and Messalina and Gideon quickly drew me into their unique story。 We pick up almost at the ending of Not The Dukes Darling， and because of that （and my own preferences） as well as references back to events that happened previously Id strongly suggest beginning with the first story。 There is a lot going on in this world beyond the Greycourts and de Morays feud/suspicions， so without the base Reviewed at Keeper BookshelfWhen A Rogue Meets His Match is the second title in the Greycourt series and Messalina and Gideon quickly drew me into their unique story。 We pick up almost at the ending of Not The Duke’s Darling， and because of that （and my own preferences） as well as references back to events that happened previously I’d strongly suggest beginning with the first story。 There is a lot going on in this world beyond the Greycourts and de Morays feud/suspicions， so without the base world-building of the first story， you might feel as if you’re missing something。 You do what works best for you， always – but if you need the background to enjoy a world then read this series in order。While there was so much happening in the previous book， When A Rogue Meets His Match tones that down a bit， and we focus mostly on Messalina and Gideon’s unexpected marriage of convenience between at least one person falling into the enemy to lover trope。Gideon grew up on the streets， he’s a man who survives and does that well since his intelligence is almost as strong as his cunning ways。 He’s been in the employ of a rather odious man doing the shaky things that the members of the ton would never ever touch。 But he’s planned， and invested， and learned over the years and now he’s ready to go out on his own， forge his own destiny… except for one final offer and a reward he cannot turn down。 The hand in marriage of the woman he’s always held a special affection for… Messalina。 Too bad she didn’t feel the same way。Messalina hates her uncle with a passion， one that is also held against his henchman， Gideon。 When her uncle hands her over as wife to Gideon， with the threat of making her sister the bride instead， she has no choice… but that doesn’t mean she has no options。 With Gideon agreeing to a marriage of convenience， at least for a time， he gets what he wants in an acceptance into society through his marriage。 He also wants his wife to agree to a true marriage and will work his considerable charms to hurry that aspect along。 Messalina gets time and eventually access to her dowry which she plans to use for an escape to America with her sister。 Yet， neither counted on the sparks between them changing all of their plans。I had such a good time with When A Rogue Meets His Match。 There is a smoothness that was missing from the previous book where so much was happening。 And the sexual tensions， discovering true love， and bantering between this couple are simply off the charts。 I liked them， even when they did something foolish （which every hero or heroine eventually does）。 There are dashes of danger， some secondary characters that I’d like to know more about， and the woven thread of the Greycourts and de Morays situation to keep us on our toes。 In all， a delightful read， and I’m already looking forward to my next trip to this world。*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley。 That does not change what I think of this story。 It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book。* 。。。more
Ilex
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Unausgegoren
Ashley
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Wow！ This book is fantastic！ It is romantic， gripping， unique， and so much more！ Whenever I picked up "When a Rogue Meets His Match"， I was whisked away on an adventure， and had such a difficult time putting this book down。This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Hoyt， and the second in her "Greycourt" series。 Oh how I can't wait to read more books by her！ Her storytelling is simply spectacular！ She brilliantly brings the world of her story， as well as her characters， to life， and as the Wow！ This book is fantastic！ It is romantic， gripping， unique， and so much more！ Whenever I picked up "When a Rogue Meets His Match"， I was whisked away on an adventure， and had such a difficult time putting this book down。This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Hoyt， and the second in her "Greycourt" series。 Oh how I can't wait to read more books by her！ Her storytelling is simply spectacular！ She brilliantly brings the world of her story， as well as her characters， to life， and as the reader， you feel like you are right there witnessing everything occur。 Ms。 Hoyt's characters all feel like such real people: some you will adore from the start， some will grow on you， and some you will despise， or come to do so。 All of their interactions and conversations are written vividly and honestly。 Many had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath， nervous to see what would happen， and many had me simply swooning。Messalina is such a strong， courageous， spunky， intelligent， and kind woman who is unafraid to speak her mind。 She truly wants the best for those she loves， as well as happiness for those around her。 Gideon is often seen as arrogant and hard-hearted， but he truly has a heart of gold， and is very protective of those he cares about。 While he is more along the lines of an anti-hero at first， the reasons for his actions begin to shift， and he changes as his world does。 （Possible Spoilers！）Both of these characters grow throughout the book， and help bring out the best in each other as the story progresses。 Watching their relationship develop through the good， bad， and everything in between was special， and I really feel like they learned from one another。 Though seemingly not compatible at first， I think they come to flatter one another beautifully， and their love blossoms so much。If you enjoy Historical Romance， I highly recommend this book。 It had me hooked from the first page to the last， and there are quite a few twists and turns I was not at all expecting。 I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning to see what would happen next， and how everything would work out。Thank you so much to Forever （Grand Central Publishing） for the ARC of this book， I really enjoyed it！ All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Peggy
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Gideon Hawthorne has raised himself from the gutters of St。 Giles。 He is ambitious， cunning， and ruthless in his quest to better his life。 Messalina Greycourt is the daughter， and now the niece of a Duke。 She is bright， outgoing， intelligent， and independent。 Marriage between these two opposites proves to be an interesting journey。 This is an action-packed story with a dark， brooding hero and a smart， independent heroine。 There are painful memories， secrets， and murder plots。 Falling in love Gideon Hawthorne has raised himself from the gutters of St。 Giles。 He is ambitious， cunning， and ruthless in his quest to better his life。 Messalina Greycourt is the daughter， and now the niece of a Duke。 She is bright， outgoing， intelligent， and independent。 Marriage between these two opposites proves to be an interesting journey。 This is an action-packed story with a dark， brooding hero and a smart， independent heroine。 There are painful memories， secrets， and murder plots。 Falling in love will not be easy for Gideon and Messalina。 Lucretia is a sassy little thing。 Gideon’s men， as tough as they are， are like family。 Sam and Daisy the puppy are sweet。 The intrigue is tense， and romance develops slowly。 Together it makes this one you can’t put down。 Good read。 I recommend it。 I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Jacque
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What can I say， Im TRASH for a good Hoyt book I love me some sexy times infused with intrigues & near death experiencesThe second book in the Greycourt series starts STRONG and I love it so muchpage one has our heroine Messalina knocking out a would be highwayman with a （full！！） chamber pot☠ When Messalina is forced into marry her uncles fixer， she fully intends to escape with her dowry and her younger sister within the month。 She ~doesnt~ plan for Gideon Hawthorne， who whoops HAS BEEN What can I say， I’m TRASH for a good Hoyt book🥰 I love me some sexy times infused with intrigues & near death experiencesThe second book in the Greycourt series starts STRONG and I love it so much—page one has our heroine Messalina knocking out a would be highwayman with a （full！！） chamber pot☠️ When Messalina is forced into marry her uncle’s “fixer，” she fully intends to escape with her dowry and her younger sister within the month。 She ~doesn’t~ plan for Gideon Hawthorne， who whoops HAS BEEN SECRETLY IN LOVE WITH HER FOREVER！！！ god this trope is my everything😘👌🏼There’s so much I love about this book！！ Hoyt （as always） nails the family dynamic— Messalina’s siblings show love by bickering and teasing which is pretty much my family lol🤦🏼♀️ also already said it but I LOVE a pining hero！！！ Gideon was delicious and everything I want ever。 And he buys her a dog！！！ Daisy was so cute， loved him & little Sam💛When A Rogue Meets His Match hit every note for me！ High drama， high stakes， great sex scenes & a really satisfying ending 👏🏼 definitely recommend this book！！ thank you so much to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy😎 。。。more
Robin
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This was an entertaining， well-written book。 Messalina Greycourt is forced by her guardian to marry Gideon Hawthorne， something he wants more than anything。 There are twists， turns， secrets and plots。 The story is humorous and steamy， and the characters are wonderful， I couldn't put it down， yet didn't want it to end。 I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author。
Teresa
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Oh， this book reminded me why I first fell in love with Elizabeth Hoyt and this genre。 It's been a little while since I've been able to read anything historical， but I could not turn down an advanced copy of one of my favorites！ I was a bit nervous going in， having not loved book one （and it being so long ago that I worried I'd forget important details since this author is so amazing at carrying over stories and building the world）， but I shouldn't have been worried。 I was immediately drawn in Oh， this book reminded me why I first fell in love with Elizabeth Hoyt and this genre。 It's been a little while since I've been able to read anything historical， but I could not turn down an advanced copy of one of my favorites！ I was a bit nervous going in， having not loved book one （and it being so long ago that I worried I'd forget important details since this author is so amazing at carrying over stories and building the world）， but I shouldn't have been worried。 I was immediately drawn in by the characters and the story premise， and I devoured it。 It also made me realize how fortune I was to start the Maiden Lane series when most of the books were already out。 As soon as this finished， I wanted so many other characters' books！ I won't lie。 The ending felt rushed and a tad silly compared to what came before it， but it didn't bother me much as I truly loved so much else。 Side note， gosh， I forgot how atmospheric Elizabeth's writing can be。 I felt like I was in late 1700 London。 All the vibes fit my cold winter mood。 。。。more
Moriah
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