First book i have read by this author so i did not have any expectations.

As i started reading the book I really loved the portrayal of Meriel. She is supposed to have had horrific things happen to her as a child and then turned 'mad'. I loved the way her eccentricities were portrayed and how she was made a very engaging and entertaining 'wild child'.

And as of Dominic. His patience , his way of dealing with each barrier. His gently eroding her walls . All of it was really good.

I am definitely going to be trying out more of this author ( )

Dominic Renbourne takes the place of his twin, Kyle, Lord Maxwell, to woo the 'mad' Meriel Grahame at his twin's request. Meriel doesn't speak since her parents were murdered in India and she was kidnapped away for over a year. Now grown, Meriel is an heiress but fey. She has two guardians: one wants her committed to an asylum and the other thinks marriage might help her become 'normal.'
Dom has been bribed with the promise of an estate as his twin has a secret mission of his own and time is of the essence. But Meriel, while different, is not necessarily what she seems.
Well deserving of the awards it won, I find it only a shame that I haven't read this book earlier. It's such a lovely story, and Ms. Putney does a fantastic job in her writing. Both Meriel and Dom are wonderful characters, perfect for each other. Meriel is wonderful, truly the exemplification of Keat's La Belle Dame Sans Merci. Dom is the perfect hero, kind and handsome, someone who understands the different sides of Meriel's personality. Indeed, all the secondary characters are interesting also, each adding their bit to the main plot while establishing their own space in the story.
The Wild Child is also a fascinating blend of Eastern and Western cultures. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. Actually, I just love this book. ( )

Identical twin brothers switch places even though there is sibling rivalry between. Dominic goes to woo Kyle’s arranged intended so that Kyle could take care of a mysterious errand which takes him out of England. Dominic meets a wild, mute, strange young woman who has had a horrific experience is her past childhood. He feels protective and slowly falls in love with Meriel. As she slowly starts trusting him her custodial uncle has her committed to a mental institution and a rescue begins, Kyle returns, betrayal is felt before there’s a HEA. ( )

This is a dense, lushly romantic story. However, since I assign stars based solely on how much I enjoyed a book, I have to give this one only three. It's an engaging premise, and there's a lot of plot, but the first half -- as Meriel and Dominic were getting acquainted was just too slow. I skimmed huge parts of it. I must give MJP credit, though, for managing to handle having a mute heroine so adeptly. I didn't feel that I was missing out on dialogue.

Things pick up in the second half, and I thoroughly enjoyed that part.

I also have to give MJP credit for doing something that romance novels rarely do to me: I shed a tear of two over the (secondary) romance of Kyle and Constancia. ( )

A very original tale about a seemingly mad young woman whose sheltered world is opened up when the hero shows her how not to fear. It was a heart-wrenching and beautiful tour-de-force. Putney never disappoints. ( )