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 … 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.
When a Rogue Meets His Match
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?
more
*** 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 really, really enjoyed this book! The characters were very much opposites but I loved them and they were perfect for each other. I loved Gideon! They had such great chemistry and their romance was steamy but still sweet and swoonworthy. The plot was dark and intriguing with a bit of action and suspense. The writing kept me sucked in and was smooth and descriptive and made me swoon! I loved this book and can’t wait for more from this author!
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!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
I’m in love with Gideon Hawthorne. First some disclaimers: I was given an advanced reader copy of this book and I’m a huge Elizabeth Hoyt fan. This is an enemies to lovers story set in Georgian (not Regency) times. The Georgian era seems to have been rougher than the Regency period. If you’ve read any of Ms. Hoyt’s other books you know her bad boys are REALLY bad. Not just reformed rakes but men in danger of losing their souls. Remember Valentine Napier, The Duke of Montgomery, the Duke of Sin? Well Gideon is among the most dangerous heroes you will ever meet. Honestly didn’t see how a happy ending would be possible. However, when your heroine is as tough as Messalina Greycourt true love find a way. There are also interesting secondary characters including Messalina”s brothers and sister. I’m looking forward to their stories. This is a book you will want to reread again and again. Any time you’re in need of a real hero you will be pulling When a Rogue Meets His Match out to reread. I give this the highest recommendation. You really do not want to miss reading Gideon and Messalina’s story
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.
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.
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.
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.
Blue-blooded Messalina is saving her pin money. She’s planning a secret trip to America with her younger sister—to escape the grip of their heartless uncle the duke.
But her uncle upends her plans. He forces her to marry Gideon, whom he plucked from St. Giles to do his bidding and hide his crimes. Gideon knows Messalina doesn’t want him, but he’s willing to bargain with her to secure her consent.
In one month, Messalina will have the funds to sail to freedom. But will Gideon’s love convince her to stay?
This is another masterful historical romance from Elizabeth Hoyt. It’s a “Taming of the Shrew” type love story between a hero and heroine who are tough on the outside and fiercely guard their hearts. If you like enemies to lovers stories, don’t miss this one.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
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.
Gideon and Messalina (and her family) are such delights – I love how perfectly pitted against each other they were, and how that antagonism twisted to make them an excellent duo against the world.
As reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1r5
Messalina Greycourt is traveling by coach with her sister, when she is abducted by her lowlife uncle’s right hand man. She is taken to her Uncle Augustus’ home, where she is promptly informed that she will immediately wed Gideon, the very man who kidnapped her and brought her here. When Messalina informs her uncle that she has no intention of wedding his henchman, Uncle Augustus makes veiled threats toward Lucretia, her younger sister. Messalina now knows she is in a terrible spot, and may actually have to marry the man to keep Lucretia safe – at least until she can arrange a way for them to escape.
Gideon Hawthorne was born in the slums of St. Giles, and has done whatever it took to remove himself from that life. He was a champion knife fighter, then became a money lender. He was eventually hired by Augustus, the Duke of Windemere, to handle his dirty work. Now, after ten years of working for the duke, Gideon is ready to stand on his own. He has managed to invest in some coal mines, and wants to get away from the violent business and the vile duke. Augustus is an extremely clever and observant man, and he knows the one thing that Gideon wants more than any other – his niece, Messalina. When Augustus offers her in marriage, in exchange for one last job – a task which won’t be revealed until after the wedding takes place – Gideon agrees, never realizing the devil’s bargain he was making.
Messalina has no idea that Gideon wants her so badly, as she avoided him and her uncle over the years whenever possible. Now she has no choice but to talk with him, and try to understand his motivation for the situation she’s in. Gideon lets her know that he is determined to marry her, but he also promises her some time before they consummate the marriage. Messalina is determined to protect Lucretia, and has devised a plan for them to leave and start a new life elsewhere, so she agrees to the wedding. What she doesn’t expect is the softer side of the virtual stranger she married. Gideon takes her to his sparsely furnished home, giving her carte blanche to buy whatever she wants. He even agrees to allow Lucretia to live with them. It seems that the scarred man with the dubious past has a genuine affection for her, leaving Messalina confused and unsure.
While Messalina still intends to leave Gideon, she finds herself being seduced by his loving treatment of her, and they soon make their marriage a genuine physical one – and the relationship is decidedly steamy. Messalina begins to trust Gideon, and to think that she may not want to leave him after all. Then Gideon learns the final task he’s agreed to complete for the duke – one that is guaranteed to ensure Messalina will hate him forever. As Gideon struggles to find a solution, other suspicious and near tragic events happen. Now Gideon must not only find a way to save his marriage, but to save his and Messalina’s very lives.
WHEN A ROGUE MEETS HIS MATCH is book two of the GREYCOURT series, but it can be read as a standalone, as details of the years ago tragedy have been sparse thus far. A failed elopement and a tragic death tore three close friends and their families apart. I’m guessing that details will be revealed in the final book, with just bits and pieces along the way. I’m OK with this type of series, as long as each couple in their respective book gets their happy ever after. Gideon is the kind of man I didn’t expect to like – a genuine ruffian who has done plenty of horrible things in his life. Still, I admire him for trying to get away from that life and to become a legitimate businessman. I found his love for, and care of Messalina to be stellar, and I was pretty much ready to forgive him anything. Messalina was also a great heroine, and I loved seeing her soften and show a willingness to take a chance and forgive. Together they make an unusual, but fantastic couple with a dynamic sexual chemistry. I became totally invested in this couple, and their evolving romance, which was both sweet and hot, making for a truly satisfying read.
This is the story of an arranged marriage between Gideon Hawthorne and Messalina Greycourt by her Uncle the Duke and how their love hate relationship flourishes. I really enjoyed reading this historical fiction book.
Messalina strikes the perfect balance between being confident and independent
while also being sweet and kind. She generously and patiently teaches Gideon what will be expected of him if he hopes fully enter and be accepted by society, and she also loves him in spite of his deeply checkered past. Gideon is rough-around-the-edges with a sympathetic back story. Although he doesn’t really realize it until late in the story, I believe he’d fallen in love with Messalina before he ever married her, because she was the only one he wanted. Although not perfect, this was another great story from Ms. Hoyt that I enjoyed and that left me looking forward to the next in the series.
This book had all the drama and romance I needed. This is my first Elizabeth Hoyt book and I am hooked for the masterful writing in this historical romance genre. Hoyt’s writing is truly immersive and includes important issues during 18th century which addresses gender roles and social issues through realistic characters you heart will be invested in. Get ready to swoon in this lush and steamy love story. I enjoyed this one!
Received in exchange for a honest review.
This book was really entertaining. Messalina was stubborn and a great match for Gideon. She gave him such a hard time and no matter what she handed out to him he took it with stride and met her blow for blow. These to were a hoot. They seemed like opposites with how Gideon was brought up but they were more alike than it seems. They both were loyal, strong willed, stubborn and would protect those they love. They are fiercely loyal as well. And when they love they love with all that they have.
Gideon had a rough rough life. He is trying to be his own boss but to do that he needs to deal with Messalina’s uncle. A conniving evil man. He also needs to get Messalina away from him and show her she is safe and he loves her. So he makes a deal with the uncle and gets to marry the woman he loves. Only Messalina isn’t in on this plan and she does give Gideon a hard time from the very beginning. From the wedding to the shopping she does not let up. Along the way she does learn more and more about the man she married and see he isn’t a bad person but someone who had to do not so great things to survive.
She sees that he is smart and gruff. His employees are ones that he protects and is keeping from being on the streets. They may not be perfect but they are protected and he is doing right by them. This gets Messalina realizing there is more to him than meets the eye. The bathtub scene was awesome. The banter between these two is great. So sassy and entertaining. His protection of her sister as well was heartwarming. And his dilemma where he does the right thing and they thwart her uncle was great.
Messalina is smart and cunning. She has a revenge streak that rivals men and uses this on Gideon. Only it does backfire big time and instead of driving him away it brings them closer and she sees that this man who seems to be rough and bad is really protective, loyal and kind. He does what he needs to to protect his employees an make sure nothing happens to them. He helps her and her sister stay away from the uncle and even helps her brothers out.
The romance was a slow burn. These two will kept me entertained and smiling. Especially when she first brought him shopping. How he protected her when attacked was amazing. He will do anything for her. A truly great story from beginning to end.
I thought this was a very unique concept. The idea of a “fix-it man” marrying his employers niece had me intrigued and I was not let down. Gideon is an absolutely fascinating character. He is a self-made man with a hidden heart of gold. I love his employment of nontraditional individuals to run his house. Messalina on the other hand is highborn and thrust into a world she is unfamiliar with. To her credit she blends in seamlessly, which is a credit to her upbringing. I really enjoyed this book & look forward to the next.
Heartbreaking and wonderful, the characters were so real to me! I loved everything about this book.
I loved this story that captivated me from the first page. A rag to riches story with a tortured H and his band of unfortunates, a compassionate but somewhat naive h and a darstardly villain. Add in some angst, and some steam. A beautiful romance although I don’t think the villain’s motives were adequately explained. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
What an enjoyable historical romance! I am always a fan of the grumpy hero who only shows his tender side to the heroine and Elizabeth Hoyt got it exactly right with Gideon Hawthorne. This is my first book by the author, but it certainly won’t be my last. When a Rogue Meets His Match is book two in the Greycourt series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. I didn’t read book one prior to jumping in and though I was able to figure out what was going on easily, I think there would have been a lot more depth to the story and characters if I had.
The romance between Messalina and Gideon was really great, but I did wish there was more insight into why Gideon loved her so much. Messalina’s change of heart felt much more realistic because it was so gradual. Plus, who could resist after hearing some of the swoony things Gideon said? *sigh* A lot of time was spent on the progression of Gideon and Messalina’s relationship, so the overall pacing of the story felt a little slow. There was also some predictable drama towards the end, but it wasn’t dragged out and resolved itself very quickly. I did feel that one of the twists was unnecessary though and didn’t seem to add much to the overall story. The secondary characters were wonderful and I really hope that Messalina’s other siblings also get books in the future (especially Lucretia)!
CW: death of sibling/family member, anxiety, violence/knife fighting
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*