When a Rogue Meets His Match
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: B-
What I’m Talking About:
When the Greycourt children lost their parents years ago, they were left in the care of their horrid uncle, Augustus Greycourt, Duke of Windermere, who himself is childless. Messalina Greycourt plans for the day when she and her younger sister can escape and live out from under her uncle’s control; however, Augustus has other plans and marries her off to his henchman, Mr. Gideon Hawthorne.
Gideon Windermere has done unlawful and brutal things for the Duke. He wants to leave his employ but it’s been near impossible. The Duke will let him go and is giving him his niece and her sizable dowry in exchange for one last job.
When a Rogue Meets His Match is the second story in the Greycourt series. I read and throughly enjoyed the first title, Not the Duke’s Darling, two years ago. While I was entertained by When a Rogue Meets His Match, it was missing some of the aspects I most enjoyed in the first book, such as the Wise Women society.
Gideon is truly an anti-hero. He’s rude, crude, and unlawful. He’s agreed to and IS PLANNING ON committing a horrible act, hiding it from Messalina. He’s trapped her against her will. Yet, Messalina sees something that most do not, a kind and caring side of Gideon. Messalina plans to escape Gideon as soon as she gets her money, but starts having second thoughts immediately after they marry. She’s very confused by her feelings for most of the book.
Ms. Hoyt rides the line between a forced marriage and reluctant romance. Hawthore wants Messalina, but sees her as a prize and victory against the upper echelon. Strong-willed Messalina sees the good in Gideon and feels all sorts of tingling things when they are together. She’s a stereotypical heroine who falls for the bad boy. Their romance is filled with starts and stops, as each carries big secrets and personal dreams they do not share with the other. When a Rogue Meets His Match relies heavily on predictable plot lines, yet there is a surprising twist near the conclusion.
When a Rogue Meets His Match ends rather abruptly, with a quick conclusion. The book includes the bonus novella, “Night of the Scoundrel” by Kelly Bowen, which began at the 70% mark in my e-ARC. I did not read the extra story.
Overall, I enjoyed When a Rogue Meets His Match, but felt it was a bit predictable and the ending came too swiftly.
My Rating: B- Liked It — But I had a few small issues
Jen
About the Book:
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 most dangerous tasks without question. Now Gideon’s ready to quit the duke’s service and work solely for himself. But Windermere wants Gideon to complete one last task, and his reward is impossible to resist: Messalina Greycourt’s hand in marriage.
Witty, vivacious Messalina Greycourt has her pick of suitors. When Windermere summons Messalina to inform his niece that she must marry Mr. Hawthorne, she is appalled. But she’s surprised when Gideon offers her a compromise: as long as she plays the complacent wife, he promises to leave her alone until she asks for his touch. Since Messalina is confident that she’ll never ask Gideon for anything, she readily agrees. However, the more time she spends with Gideon, the harder it is to stay away.
Release Date: December 1, 2020
Publisher: Forever Publishing
Series: Greycourt #2
Genre: Historical Romance
Format(s): paperback (528 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon
Reviews in the Series:
Not the Duke’s Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt (Greycourt #1)