WHEN A ROGUE MEETS HIS MATCH

Two people from vastly different worlds must grope for common ground to make their marriage of convenience work.

Gideon Hawthorne, violent henchman to the Duke of Windemere, wants to quit his disreputable job and enter high society as a legitimate businessman. But his scheming employer has one last task for him. In exchange, he will grant Gideon his richly dowered niece’s hand in marriage. Gideon has always been attracted to the sharp and beautiful Messalina Greycourt and is convinced that an alliance with her will pave the way for his entry among London’s titled denizens. Messalina sees Gideon as a violent thug and has no desire to marry him. But since she doesn’t have the means or the money to flee, and her uncle has threatened her and her sister’s safety if she doesn’t acquiesce, Messalina is cornered. She bargains her way out of her predicament by agreeing to marry Gideon in exchange for freedom and protection against her uncle. Although she fully intends to escape when she sees a chance, Messalina begins to see past Gideon’s apparent brutishness after they start sharing a home. But Windemere’s last task for Gideon is likely to force Messalina to confront her husband's capacity for violence. The second installment of the Greycourt series alludes to several mysterious past events, so even as Messalina and Gideon’s relationship heats up with passion and intrigue, other long-simmering subplots also command attention and interest. Hoyt masterfully weaves in Messalina’s discovery of the layers of Gideon’s personality with her gradual understanding of poverty, privilege, and, consequently, life beyond her wealthy circle. A lack of nuance in the exploration of Gideon’s morally dubious choices with regard to Messalina is compensated by an engaging cast of characters and plenty of witty and humorous banter.

An entertaining and occasionally insightful romance.