Rating: 
Summary: Great reading
Review: Continuing her Fallen Angel series, Mary Jo Putney writes the story of Dominic and Lady Meriel. When Dominic's twin brother Kyle asks Dominic to pose as him while courting a woman, Dominic is naturally skeptical. Not only are the two estranged, they are also rivals. Dominic agrees after Kyle, the heir to the earldom, promises to give him property in return. Dominic sets out to woo Lady Meriel, the heiress madwoman. After the murder of her family, Lady Meriel hasn't spoken for years. Her family naturally assumes she is mad. Living a sheltered life, Lady Meriel spends her days with animals and time in her beloved garden. When Dominic (posing as Kyle) comes to her home for an extended visit, she is skeptical. Eventually Dominic gains Meriel's trust and realizes that she isn't what she seems. Dominic falls madly in love with Meriel, eventually bringing her out of her shell. With The Wild Child, Mary Jo Putney has written another great regency. The only complaint I had (although it didn't take away from the book one bit) is that once Meriel finally does begin to speak, it is almost as if she has spoken freely for the past 15 years and that she has undergone an education, which I don't believe would have been the case. Other than that, great book!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Story with a Great Romance
Review: Dominic Renbourne helps out his identical twin brother Kyle by going to Lady Meriel Grahame's home and pretending to be Kyle. It is suppose to be a quick trip to make a appearance. There was a marriage arrangement between the fathers Kyle & Meriel when they were children and it is now time for Kyle to court Meriel even though word has it that she is mad. Dominic and Kyle haven't seen others in years due to a bitter confrontation but this visit is very important to the family wealth due to inheritance that will come with Meriel at time of marriage. Kyle makes an offer that Dominic can't resist. When Meriel was little her parents were murdered in India and she was captured and made a slave until her release to her uncles years later. Since then she hasn't spoken a word and lived at the family home with 2 elderly aunts and her Indian caretaker. Due to her strange behavior, she is thought to be insane. But during Dominic's visit, he sees little things that contradict what is thought of her and he seeks to uncover the truth of Meriel's capture and her behavior the whole time making everyone think he is Kyle. There are complications when his father and sister show up for a visit and she recognizes him as being Dominic. It is a great story that really keeps you going. MP does a good job of twisting things around to keep the reader intrigued. A recommended read.
Rating:
Summary: I didn't expect to like this... but I loved it!
Review: Dominic Renbourne, younger son - by ten minutes - of the Earl of Wrexham, is bored and restless. Not having the taste or talent for the army or the church, he lives a life of jaded pleasure from his lodgings in London. His twin Kyle, Viscount Maxwell, on the other hand, seems to have it all: land, money and an inheritance to look forward to. And yet, as we learn, Kyle is as envious of Dominic's freedom as Dominic is envious of Kyle's ownership of land - Dominic would love nothing more than to be a country farmer. So when Kyle contacts Dominic and offers to sign over to him a manor estate if Dominic will take his place for a few weeks, Dominic is tempted. The masquerade involves visiting the home of Kyle's almost-fiancee, Lady Meriel Grahame (descendant of Adrian and Meriel of Warfield, from Uncommon Vows). Meriel is rumoured to be mad, as the result of severe childhood trauma; she doesn't speak and seems to pay no attention to anything around her. The idea of a child-woman like this becoming someone's wife disgusts Dominic, but he senses some raw pain in his brother's heart, so in the end agrees to go to Warfield. Meriel is everything Dominic expected... and yet nothing like he expected. She is beautiful and untamed. She ignores everyone except Kamal, her Indian servant... and yet Dominic realises very quickly that she watches him and understands what he says to her. Gradually, she accepts his friendship and allows him to teach her to ride and to become involved in her daily activities. But Dominic also realises that this apparently childlike woman is hiding her real nature. She understands far more than she pretends. She is highly intelligent, as well as intuitive. And when he discovers that she can read - and that her reading matter includes serious and demanding books - he suspects that she isn't being honest about her abilities. Can she speak, after all? At the same time, Meriel and Dominic are falling in love with each other. And yet Dominic is bound by loyalty to his brother. How can he escape that? And in the background lurks the danger that Meriel's paternal uncle, Earl Grahame, will get his way and have her committed to an asylum. Twins changing places is a common theme in romance novels, but many of these suggest that such changes are easy to execute. Never for one minute, though, are we allowed to believe that Dominic's masquerade is easy to maintain and unlikely to be discovered. Likewise, Meriel is portrayed in a very sympathetic and multi-dimensional way; at first she did indeed seem to be a very simple, possibly not sane, child; as we got to know her better, the glimpses we got of her thoughts and desires showed us that she was far more complex and intelligent than would be expected. There are some lovely scenes in The Wild Child, as Dominic begins to get to know Meriel; the frightening events in the ruined Norman castle where Meriel pretended to throw herself off the battlements; the rescue of the fox; tending the garden together. As other reviers have noted, the compassionate treatment of the asylum was both fascinating and chilling. This book gripped me from start to finish, and the only reason it didn't get read in one sitting was the inconvenience of having to get up to go to work! And then I couldn't wait to read Kyle's story, to find out how he fared after the loss of his beloved Constancia. A keeper!
Rating: 
Summary: Major disappointment!
Review: I didn't want to like this book. The identical twins substituting for each other, woman thought insane but really still suffering from childhood trauma, the coincidence of Meriel's best friend from India being locked in the same asylum where Meriel is bound, and the predictable ending should have made it easy to put this one down--but I couldn't. Putney is such a good writer that she can take these standard and overused plot devices and turn them into a truly compelling read. Even though you'll know exactly what comes next, you'll want to read it to see how Putney describes it and makes it real. Although it falls somewhat short of the emotional intensity of its sequel, CHINA BRIDE, THE WILD CHILD is a superior romance.
Rating:
Summary: She is Still AWESOME
Review: I have not read a book by Mary Jo Putney that I have not loved.
This book is so totally excellent, very different from any historical romance I have ever read before. I totally fell in LOVE with Dominic and Meriel. The trouble they had to go through to be together was so heart rendering. Don't miss this book.
Rating:
Summary: Superb book!
Review: I just finished the book last night. I absolutely loved it! I actually came on this site tonight to see if the author wrote a book about Kyle. Lo and behold she did! The China Bride is his story and I can not wait to read it!
Rating:
Summary: Meriel and Dominc are wonderful!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The story has a unique feel to it. Dominic Renbourne has always been 'The Spare' because his twin brother, Kyle,was born ten minutes earlier. When Kyle visits, desperate, and offers Dominic an estate he's always wanted in return for pretending to be him and courting his 'mad' betrothed, Dominic jumps at it. However, when Dominic arrives at Lady Meriel Grahame's estate, he discovers, not a madwoman, but an beautiful, fey girl. The horror of witnessing her parents' murder, and then living captive in an Indian harem, have caused her to pull back from the world. Dominic then figures out she never came out of her world because if she did so, she would have to be 'normal'. When one of her uncles kicks Dominic out, and then carts the very much sane Meriel to a lunatic asylem, Dominic has to face on of the toughest decisions ever, does he wait for Kyle to come back from where he went, and betray Meriel's trust, or does he rescue Meriel and marry her, and break trust with his brother?
Rating: 
Summary: A bit slapdash
Review: I totally agree with the Kirkus reviewer. The author has created supeb characters and the whole villain this is unsustained, confusing, predictable, and waters down what should be the terrific feel good ending to the novel.
Dominic is way too good to be true, in an interesting role reversal in which he tries to maintain his virtue in the face of her lust for him.
She is a bit too fey at times, and puts one in mind of cold Comfort Farm. The menagerie is adorable, and the only othr flaw I can find is the author working really hard to balance the heady romance aspect with the recovery aspect. Dom has the patience of a saint. It sort of drags on a bit as well, especially with her sticking henna all over everyone, and dressing in costumes like a child at play when she is 23 years old. No matter how traumatised she is, she would have more common sense. The pairing off of the supposed eunuch, as well as Dom's sister Lucia also makes for one couple too many in this rather short book.
I also have to say I did not like the sanctimonious Kyle at all, for all he is supposed to be in love with his mistress and helping her, and is set up as the hero of her next book China Bride with a really heavy hand. The fashion for twins in books is getting a bit much.
An uneven achievement at best, but read this book for Dom. He is FAB.
Rating:
Summary: A+A+A+ Thumbs Wayyyy up!!! Wonderful Book!!!
Review: Loved this book. This book is my second Putney to read and I must say that I am most impressed with this author's writing style. Her plots are not conventional nor was it predictable. It is refreshing to find an author that has been out there for a while writing stories of this caliber.... just think of the joy of discovering her back list!!! LOL "The Wild Child" tells the story of two twin brothers that have a very strained relationship although at one time they were very close (as common with twins) it also tells the story of a woman not afraid of her own physical wants and desires, however because of a tragedy when she was young has chosen to stay "mute" with society's world. Getting to know Meriel and her world was tedious at times because quite frankly reading a book where one of the main characters does not communicate can be. I do highly recommend this book once it picked up it really became rather interesting. If you like books with Twins switching places I also recommend "The Switch" by Sandra Brown as well as "Deceptions" by Judith Michael. If you should like books about Heroines that are "mute" then try "Awaken My Love" by Robin Schone. Happy Reading
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Summary: Putney At Her Best
Review: Mary Jo Putney has made a name writing books that combine lyrical romance with strong characterization and social commentary. In THE WILD CHILD she is in top form. This historical tells the story of Meriel Grahme and Dominic Renbourne. Dominic is the younger of an earl's two sons--by ten minutes. Those few minutes make all the difference. Relaxed and friendly where his identical twin is formal, and independent where his twin is duty-bound, Dominic is hardly one to step to his brother's tune. But then Kyle, his brother, offers him the chance to realize a dream Dominic had thought beyond his grasp. In return, he must play Kyle in an odd charade that makes no real sense to him; he agrees to court his brother's betrothed, Meriel Grahame, a lovely, wealthy--and apparently mad heiress. So begins a well-realized love story between two remarkable people. Putney creates a magical quality for Meriel's vast garden, where much of the story takes place. In some ways, THE WILD CHILD is an adult retelling on THE SECRET GARDEN, with the roles reversed. Here the woman needs to heal. Meriel is both strong and vulnerable, freed in some ways from the constraints on women in her culture, yet bound by the borders of her garden. Her gradual recovery makes an uplifting story. For all her silences and withdrawal, she often comes across as one of the most sensible people in her small world. The garden is beautifully realized, from vivid descriptions of the topiary to the enchanted quality of Meriel's tree house. Dominic's burgeoning love touches a deep chord. I don't normally go for twin substitution stories, but this one works. His dilemma--coming to love with his brother's intended--avoids cliches. Rather than bogging down with discord or misunderstandings, the characters act with maturity, humor, and a refreshing dash of common sense. None are perfect; when Dominic isn't pretending to be his overly exacting twin, he is somewhat of a disorganized mess. His faults only increase his charm. His fundamental decency adds power to the conflict he faces when he realizes how he feels for Meriel. With gentle stealth feminism, Putney comments on how labels such as "hysterical" and "mad" have been used to silence women's voices. Although this book is a historical, it has resonances with our own culture. The commentary is all the more effective because of the compassion Putney infuses into her work. She seems to care for all her characters, male and female, young and old, of all races, conservative or modern. Putney fans may recognize Meriel as the descendant of another Merial in the novel UNCOMMON VOWS. Nor does the story arc end with THE WILD CHILD. Due out in summer 2000, THE CHINA BRIDE tells the story of Dominic's brother Kyle and an unusual, captivating woman who comes into his life. THE WILD CHILD is well worth reading. It is Mary Jo Putney at her best. And that is good indeed
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