When a Rogue Meets His Match: Includes a Bonus Novella

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.

Loved this Book! I love wounded rogues who reach out to strong feisty women who come to love them, warts and all. Ms Hoyt Is a terrific, steamy romance writer. I have read all her books and this one is a must read. Enjoy.

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.