When a Rogue Meets His Match
Series: Greycourt #2
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Published December 1st 2020 by Piatkus/Forever

Goodreads Synopsis
The second novel in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt's Greycourt Series features an enemies-to-lovers romance with her signature blend of captivating characters and sensual romance.

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.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Messalina Greycourt knows that she is definitely a catch, and could have a pick of husband wherever she looks, but being under the thumb of her wicked uncle, the Duke of Windemere, who will do anything he can for his own good, leads to a forced marriage to his own fixer, Gideon Hawthorne. Gideon pulled himself up from the gutter of St Giles, and has done all manner of jobs for Windemere in his time, but being offered Messalina in exchange for an unspecified job may just be too much. He's always wanted to be self sufficient and away from Windemere, and is finally in the position where he may just be able to do so, but being married to Messalina, who he's always wanted, would give him a footing in society he could never have wished for. However, Windemere's wicked plan is more heinous than anyone could have expected, and as much as Messalina and Gideon are adamant their marriage will be in name only, they may just find themselves facing it all together.

I utterly adored Not the Duke's Darling, so when review copies became available for book 2, I jumped at the chance. With Messalina being neigh on kidnapped by Gideon in the last pages of book 1, I couldn't wait to discover how their story panned out. Ever since her parents died, and her eldest sister, Aurelia, Messalina has had to protect herself from her uncle's wicked plans. Playing the doting guardian in public, Windemere has always made it clear that all of the Greycourt children are in his way, and he only cares about what they can do for him, not about what he can do for them. When he learns about Gideon's wish to leave, he dangles Messalina in front of him, in exchange for Gideon removing Julian Greycourt for his way - permanently. For Messalina, only knowing Gideon as Windemere's lapdog and fixer, she would do just about anything to avoid marrying him, but not if that means younger sister Lucretia will be forced to instead. So, she proposes an agreement with Gideon - in exchange for her dowry, she will be a true wife after a month, and no earlier. Gideon agrees, and promises not to touch her unless she asks for it, but she knows she never will, and now thinks she has a month to plan her escape. But the longer the couple spend together, trying to discover more about one another, and aid Gideon in his plans to find aristocratic backers for his mining ventures, their marriage becomes less of a sham, and more of a reality. But the looming threat of Windemere is always over head, and the arrival of the remaining Greycourt siblings means the couple need to seriously consider their relationship.

I really loved both of the main characters, and thought their development from indifference to love was perfect. Gideon has pined for Messalina from afar for quite some time, and as much as he tries to hide it in this book, it's plainly obvious that he adores her, and would do anything for her. Messalina is a harder nut to crack, but once she learns about Gideon's origins, and the way he truly cares for his staff, she's melting inside, and thinks less about leaving, and more about making Whispers a true home for them, and their children in the future. Their relationship was full of heat, and passion, and it was a joy to read about. I did feel as if the ending and climax of the plot line surrounding Windemere, Gideon and Julian, was a little rushed, but all in all, a fantastic addition to the series, and I'm looking forward to No Ordinary Duchess.

Dates Read:
December 8-10, 2020

Rating
4 Stars